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COEXRIGRT DEPOSm 



HE LAND OF 
THE ALEPH BES 

SAMUEL S. GROSSMAN 




MOISHEIvACH, SHLOIMELACH AND THE BIRDS (SCENE HI.) 

THE DEPARTURE FROM THE LAND OF THE ALEPH BES (SCENE VIII.) 

MALrKAH'S DOLLS COME TO LIFE. (SCENE L) 



THE LAND 
OF THE ALEPH BES 



A WONDER PLAY FOR JEWISH CHILDREN 
In NINE SCENES 



B^ Samuel S. Grossman 

{Formerly Supervisor, Entertainment Department, Bureau 

of Education, New York.) 

Author of "The Purim Players/' "What's To-night?" 

'The Maccabbees," "Mother of Martyrs," "Freedom," etc. 



Illustrated 



JULIUS H. GREENSTONE 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. 

1918 



4^' 



COPYEIGHT, 1918 

BY 

Samuel S. Grossman. 



All rights reserved. 



For permission to act the whole or part 
of this play apply to the Publisher. 



JUN -8 1918 
©CI.D 49834 



To Ethel. 




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CAST OF CHARAOTEES OF 
"ALEPH BES LAN D". 



CHARACTERS IN SCENE ONE : 
(Malkah^s Home.) 

Malkah, a little Jewish girlie. 

"I-don^t-Care^^^ her boy-doll. 

"ASK-A-LOT^^/ her girl-doll. 

1 Sometimes called "Little Jewish 
The Rebbi [ Singing Man", "Little-Fellow-Find- 

"Aleph^^ 



a-Friend", "Moreh". 



"Bes^^ 

"Shin^^ 

"Toph^^ 



1 



The Rebbi's four servants in the Red 
Magic Book. 



NEW CHARACTEES IN SCENE TWO 
(Aleph Bes Land.) 



All Soldiers of 
the Gate. 



"GlMEL^^ 

"Baled'' 

"Heh''. 

"Vov''. 

"Zayin''. 

"Ches''. 

"Tes''. 

"Yodh'^ 

"Choph'^ 

"Koff". 

"Final Choph''. 

"Lamed''. 

"Mem". 

"Nun". 

"Samach". 

"Ayin". 

"Pay'^ 

"Tzadik". 

"Kuf". 

"Resh". 

"Ah" (Pasach) 

"Ee" (Chirik) 

"Oh" (Komatz) 

"Eh" (Segol) 

A Group of Russian Jewish Children 

A Group of Modern Palestinian Children 

A Group of Dutch Jewish Children 

A Group of American Jewish Childrjjn 



Four Cousins 



NEW CHARACTERS IN SCENE THREE 

(The Land op Happiness.) 

Four Trees. 

Five "Moishelach^^ or "Shloimelach-'^ 

Four Birds. 

Two Winds. 

"TziGELE^^, a little white pet-goat. 

The Letters that make Pictures. 

Joseph — a real Story. 

The Letters that make Songs. 



NEW CHARACTERS IN SCENE FIVE: 

(LOVELAND^ WHERE JEWISH CHILDREN GROW.) 

Yankele^ the wise little student.^ Four little 
Choneh^ the dreamer Russian 

'Zekiel, very hungry Jewish 

Sholom^ timid. J Boys. 

Yankele^s Mother. 
Choneh^s Mother. 
'Zekiel^s Mother. 
Sholom^s Mother. 



NEW CHARACTERS IN SCENE SEVEN 

(The Land where the Trees Prayed.) 

Nine Trees. Black Bird. 

Blub Bird. White Bird. 



THE DOLLS JOIN THE PARTY 
SCENE I.— THE HOME OF MALKAH. 
CHAEACTERS : 



Malkah 


Aleph, 


"ASK-A-LOT^^ 


Bes. 


"I-don't-care'' 


Shin. 


The Rebbi. 


TOPH. 



As soon as the front curtain parts you can see 

MalTcaWs room. 
Two chairs stand forward and on one is ^^I Don't 
Care'' in a blue sailor-suit, while on the other is 
^'Ask-a-Lot" all dressed up. Malkah is on the 
floor before the chairs resting her arm on the dolVs 
shoulder. 
It looks like ^^an evening ivith mother" and Malkah 
is telling them a story as if they ivere live chil- 
dren. 

Malkah. 
Once upon a time there was a Rebbi and he had 
a lot — a lot of Kinderlach ! A lot — a lot of Kinder- 
lach ! ( To her girl-doll. ) "Ask-a-Lot", Kinderlach 
mean children — And once the Rebbi went away and 
he locked up the house, and all the Kinderlach were 
inside. And a big bear came and he knocked at 
the door. {Imitates bear, in gruff voice.) "Let me 
in Kinderlach; let me in Kinderlach." But the 
children all kept quiet and wouldn't let the bear 
in. Don't get frightened, Ask-a-Lot. And just as 
the bear started to break the door in, what do you 
think happened? The window opened up and all 
the children flew out, and flew far, far away, where 
the bear couldn't catch them. And just then the 



8 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Eebbi came back and the bear ran away. And no- 
body knows where the Kinderlach are, except the 
Rebbi. (Pause, then as though answering a ques- 
tion. ) And nobody knows where the Rebbi is, either. 
Don't you wish you knew where they are? {To the 
hoy-doll.) O, you don't care! {Sternly to the girl- 
doll.) Don't ask so many questions! {Goes to the 
window.) Maybe they're over the hills ! {Thought- 
fully.) The moon knows, maybe. (Looks out, fas- 
cinated.) The moon is calling us! It's saying, 
"Come on, children, far away !" Hear it singing, too ! 
"Little Jewish Children, come, follow the moon. 
Come ! Over the hills is magic land and happy land 
and Jewish Wonderland ! Where the old Rebbi is." 
{Pause, turns disappointedly to dolls) You're 
only dolls — and — I thought — you — were — real chil- 
dren. {She sinks down by the dolly's chair and 
slowly falls asleep.) 

{A soft singing voice is heard in the distance. The 
music it utters is the beautiful ^^Haas Hashe- 
mesh/' and a fiddle accompanies the voice. As it 
comes nearer, Malkah listens entranced, mark- 
ing time unconsciously. Then tht^ first verse of 
the song is ended and a knock is heard at the 
door. ) 

Malkah {joyfully). 
Children! It's the moon's man maybe! {Slowly,) 
— or the bear maybe ! Hush ! Children, be still in 
your places, and don't breathe a word. I'll never 
tell him you're here! 

{Malkah cautiously steps forward and closes the 
curtains completely in front of the dolls, so that 



THE DOLLS JOIN THE PARTY 9 

you can't see them at all. Then, standing still, 
she saySy in a breathless ivhisper.) "Who's it? — 
Who's it?'' 

{The melody hegins again; she smiles and cries 
gladly.) Come in! {To herself ^ in ecstasy.) 
Perhaps it's the Kebbi. 

{Noiv you hear a door opening outside and in skips 
the little Jeivish-Singing-Man from far away. 
He has tivinkling eyes and a dark heard; wears 
a very, very funny long yellow cloak with a patch 
near the shoulder. He does not walk hut he skips, 
at the same time playing on his little fiddle and 
singing. ) 

Malkah. 
{Delighted as he comes to her.) 
From where are youf 

Little Man. 
From everywhere over the wide world. 

Malkah. 
Please, what is your name? 

Little Man. 
Some call me the Rebbi, and some call me "The 
Jewish-Singing-Man from far away." Did you 
hear my music? {He starts to play again.) 

Malkah. 
It is beautiful. O sing again and play, please! 

Little Man. 
Don't ask me! I warn you, if you listen to me 
very long, you'll want to skip after me ; you'll want 
to fly far away with me! 



10 TEE LAND OF ALE PR BES 

Malkah. 
Would you take me? Where will you go? 

Little Man. 
To the lands of all my kinderlach. To every place 
where there are Jewish children, where there are 
Jewish songs ! 

Malkah. 
Is that where you came from? 

Little Man. 
Yes! 

Malkah. 
And do you know many Jewish children? 
(He starts to play a phrase from ^^Aufn Pripi- 
chek'^ hefore he answers.) 

Little Man. 
(After playing the first two lines.) Many, many 
hundreds and thousands of Jewish children! 

Malkah. 
All the same? 

Little Man. 
No! Some little Jewish children are in Kussia- 
land and some are in Prussialand, and some are 
in Chinaland — 

Malkah 
(Delighted, claps hands). 
Everywhere? Even in Chinaland? 

Little Man. 
Yes ! Over the hills are Jewish children and over 
the valley, and over the moon, too. 



THE DOLLS JOIN THE PARTY 11 

Malkah. 
They must be lonely, — I think, — so far away! 

Little Man. 

Yes. Some are very lonely. I am the friend of 

those. I go all over the world with my little fiddle 

and my little songs, and I hear what all the little 

Jewish girls and boys say and what they think. — 

Malkah. 
And even what they dream — ? 

Little Man. 
Yes ! and when some little Jewish girls are lonely 
I come and play and sing. (Slowly) But most im- 
portant of all is the introducing to my servants, I 

mean 

Malkah. 
What— what's that? 

Little Man. 
If you want to find out you must come to the land 
where my little ones live. Listen! (Music of 
^'Aufn PripicTieW played and hummed.) That's 
the song of a million Jewish Children in Aleph Bes 
Land. 

Malkah. 
A million! — Are there that many in the whole 
world? 

Little Man (quickly). 
More! Do you want to come along with me? 
I'll take you if you'll come. Do you want to see 
some Jewish children that I know? Do you want 



12 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

to hear all these wonderful lonesome tunes, and 
happy tunes that Jewish children sing? — Do you? 
— Do you want to see the whole world? — and far 
away? — and the sky? — and over the moon? And 
Jewish children's Aleph Bes Land? — 

Malkah (rushing to him). 
Take me, little Mister Jewish Singing Man. Take 
me to see all these other Jewish boys and girls — 
the million ! And Aleph Bes Land ! 

Little Man 

(Starting, and taking her hand). 

Then we'll sail away in my Red Magic Book ! 

Malkah 
(Starts eagerly and then suddenly stops). 
Wait! — I'm terribly sorry, — I can't go, — (She 
peeks inside the curtains which hide the dolls. ) 

Little Man. 
Why, what's the matter? 

Malkah 
(Almost heart-hroken). 
I can't leave my friends, here — 

Little Man (cheerfully). 
I'll take them with us ! 

Malkah (sols). 
No, you can't. — They're not grown-up like I am 
— and they have no Jewish names — and they're — 
the only — friends — I have! 



THE DOLLS JOIN THE PARTY 13 

Little Man 
(Putting his arm about her, soothingly), 
I'll get you others. I can do many things. I can 
get every little Jewish child friends. My other 
name is "Little-Fellow-Find-a-Friend." 

Malkah. 
O ! But I can't leave them behind ! 

Little Man. 
The Dolls? You must come quick. {He rushes 
to the window) Quick I The moon is coming out 
big. We won't be able to jump over it if it grows 
any bigger. 

Malkah. 
I won't desert my friends, even if they are dolls ! 
{She turns toivard the curtain.. A sob. Then — ) 
They're Jeivish dolls, too — because I made them 
so — 

Little Man {suddenly). 
Why didn't you say that before? I know what 
we'll do ! We'll make them live; like real children. 

Malkah {amazed). 
Can you do that ! 

Little Man 
{Putting his fiddle under his chin again). 
With my little fiddle and song I can ! 

Malkah. 

Do it ! {She is quivering with anticipation; then 
suddenly stops short; sadly.) O! They'll be so 
small they'll tumble over the moon when they fly. 



14 ^HE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Little Man. 

I'll just make them grow up ! Grow up just like 
you! And they'll come with us. Shall I? 

Malkah. 
Yes! Yes! {They stand in front of the closed 
curtains. Malkah peeks through^ and cries gladly. ) 
It's not the bear, children, it's the Rebbi! (Then 
she hrings the curtains together again.) 
{He plays ^^M'nagnim.'' She speaks quickly, as he 
plays, and clutches his cloak in nervous excite- 
ment. ) 

Malkah 
(Agitated; speaks excitedly). 
The little blue-suit one is a boy-doll ! I call him 
^^I-Don't-Care." And the other one is a girl-doll, 
with a pink sash, and a white dress! She's "Ask- 
a-Lot." That's what I call her! O — play harder! 
How big will they be? Will "Ask-a-Lot" ask a lot 
of questions if she talks, like I imagined? Will the 
boy-doll say "I-Don't-Care" like I make believe he 
will? Oh! are you ready? Are they real? — Are 
they grown up? — Shall I look? — Shall I open the 
curtain? 

Little Man 
(He comes to the proper point of his music.) 
Now! 

Malkah. 
{Rushes to the curtain and tears it open. There in 
place of the two dolls are the real live children, 
complete copies of the two dolls in costume, face 
paint, hodily appearance, and sitting in the same 
position on the chair. 



THE DOLLS JOIN THE PARTY 15 

Momentary pause, while the living dolls mechani- 
cally rise. Malkah flings herself at them and em- 
braces them.) 

So, "Ask-a-Lot V You're real, like me !— "I-Don't- 
Care," you're a boy instead of a doll! He'll take 
you with me ! — O, I'm so happy ! 

I-Don't-Care (Boy Doll) 
{Pushing Malkah away; contemptuously). 
Ah, I don't care to be kissed by a girl ! 

Malkah {to Little Man). 
Now ! — Now ! — Take us ! Take us ! — See they are 
real Jewish children. 

ASK-A-LOT (Girl-Doll). 
{Sloivly with a drawling, questioning voice, and 
mechanical stare). 
Is it far from here? — How do we go there? Do 
you know how to get there? Is the bear there? 
Will the moon stop us? — Is it hard to go there? — 
What do the children look like? — Do you know 
them to speak to? — Will you introduce me? 

Malkah 
{Delighted at the reality of her doll-characters). 
Ask a lot I Ask a lot ! 

Little Man 
{Staggered by AsJc-a-Lofs profuse questions). 

Yes — and — no! — and — yes — and — no! Wait! I'll 
answer all your questions with my Magic Book ! 



16 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Malkah {excited). 

He's got a magic book ! The rebbi's got a Magic 
Book! 

Boy-Doll 
{With disdainful gaze), 

I don't care! — 

Little Man 

{Making funny motions, hut speaking with the 

gravity of a wizard ) . 

Aleph, Bes, Toph, Shin 

Hurry, bring my Red Book in ! 

Aleph, Toph, Shin, Bes, 

Bring my book right to this place, 

Aleph, Toph, I want to look. 

Shin, Bes, bring my book ! 

{Tivo halves, each a cover of Bed Book which is 
used as an alphabet primer, enlarged to the size 
of about five feet high, fly in from opposite sides 
and join into an open book in the center of the 
stage, in front of the little man. ) 

Little Man. 
My little magic book! You're just in time. 
{Stands in front of it and questions solemnly) 
Where are my Kinderlach? 

Girl-Doll {aside to Boy-Doll), 
Why does he call them Kinderlach? 

Voice in Book {answers the Rebbi), 
Far away ! 



TEE DOLLS JOIN THE PARTY 17 

Little Man. 
Where are they? 

Voice in Book. 
Further than the middle of the Sea. 

Girl-Doll 
{Aside y with insistent questioning tone), 
O! Are they drowned? 

Voice in Book. 
No, they are living. 

Malkah 
{Advances timidly to the hook). 
Where do little Jewish Children live? 

Voice in Book. 
In Aleph Bes Land. 

Girl-Doll. 
Where is that? 

Voice in Book. 
It is a little place far from everywhere and near 
to anywhere. 

Malkah. 
Magic Book, magic book, tell me how to get there? 

Voice in Book. 
Ask my master ! Ask my master ! 

Little Man 
{Bowing gravely; quotes the directions with seri- 
ous air). 
Go from Kussialand and go from Spanishland 



18 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

and go from Prussialand, and go from Danishland, 
and go from Englishland, and go where they meet 
in the middle of the earth under the sea, above land, 
everywhere, that's the place called Aleph Bes Land ! 

Malkah. 
Eed Book, Hebrew Book, tell me, will the Kin- 
derlach be glad to see us if we come? 

Voice in Book. 
They are very glad when anybody comes. And 
they have wonderful stories to tell. 

Malkah. 
Are all the Jewish Kinderlach of the world there? 
— In Aleph Bes Land? 

Voice in Book. 
No, some are still dreaming in the air, looking 
for the other Kinderlach. 

Girl-Doll. 
Who shows them the way? 

Voice in Book. 
Ask my master, ask my master. 

Little Man. 
I show all the Kinderlach the way to Aleph Bes 
Land, when I find them dreaming in the air. 

Malkah. 
Who will take me to Aleph Bes Land, little Red 
Book, little Magic Book? 



THE DOLLS JOIN THE PARTY 19 

Voice in Book. 
Ask my master, ask my master. 

Little Man. 
I will take you to the most beautiful place in the 
world. To Aleph Bes Land — to the Jewish Land 
of Dreams and Wonders. 

GiRL-DOLL. 

Who will carry me to Aleph Bes Land? 

{Voices suddenly start murmuring and quarreling 
within the Book.) 

Voices One and Two. 
I will carry you there ! I ! I ! 

Voices Three and Four. 
No, I! No, I! Let me! Let me out! I 

will ! — me ! 

(The two halves of the magic hook come apart and 
there scramble out — Aleph , Bes, Bhin, Toph, 
all of them impersonated hy real children. They 
are now pushing each other and fighting. They 
all try to get Little Man's attention.) 

Aleph [excitedly). 
No, I ! No, I ! I^m first, I'm Aleph — always first ! 
Aa! Aa! 

Bes {same excitement) . 
No, rm better! Bb! Bb! Bb! 

Shin {same). 
Fm surer! Sh! Sh! 



20 THE LAND OF ALEPH BE8 

TOPH (same), 
I ! I ! I^m truer, truer ! I'm Toph ! 

Bes. 
I'm the best boat to go in. I'm Bes! (Makes a 
drawn out sound.) B-B-Boat! 

Shin (crowding in his place), 
Shi Sh! Sh! Fly with me! 

Aleph (waving his arm, proudly). 
Aleph! Aleph! Take Aleph! Look at Aleph's 
arm! 

Toph. 
Me! Me! TmToph! Take me! 

( The four letters crowd around the dolls and Mai- 
hah, trying each to show off before them.) 

Little Man. 
( On the other side of the stage, draws a quick shrill 

note on his fiddle; then sternly) 

Aleph! Bes! Shin! Toph! 
( They rush to him penitently, ) 

Malkah and Girl-Doll (together). 
Goodness! Who are they? 

Boy-Doll 
(Who has heen standing stupidly, and leering at 
all the action.) 
I don't care ! 



THE DOLLS JOIN TEE PARTY 21 

Little Man 

{As they cuddle near him). 

They^re my little servants — Aleph, Bes, Shin, 
Toph, I tell you stop it! What do you mean by 
falling out ! Get right back into your line into the 
book and stay printed ! Every single letter of you ! 

Toph (very fat, and meek). 
Please let me go first ! Aleph is always your pet, 
but you make me go last. I want to go first to 
Aleph Bes Land! 

Little Man. 
How can I mix you up? We'll be lost forever. 
Ready! In line! 

(They get in proper order — Aleph, Bes, Shin, Toph 
He rexnews them.) 

Aleph, your place? 

Aleph {soldier like). 
At the top of the line, Adoni. 

Little Man {commanding). 
Go back and steer the Book-Boat for us, Bes! 

Bes. 
I'm next to Aleph, Adoni. 

Shin {stepping up) . 
I'm next to the end. 

Toph {iceeping). 
At the end ! 



22 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Little Man {petting Toph). 
You'll keep our boat from sinking. Get the boat 
ready to take these children ! 

(They rush into the hook and the halves close. A 
humming of ^^Y^lodim TsW^ begins inside the 
hook. Little Man seizes his -fiddle and starts to 
play it and sing it also.) 

Come on, to Jewish Children's Aleph Bes Land, 
children ! 

(He plays ^^YHodim Tsu" merrily as they come into 
''The Boat.'') 

Little girl, whatever you do, don't get my ser- 
vants mixed. If you should call the little fat one 
"Aleph," my, he'd start to steer! And we would 
tumble upside down into the sky instead of going 
into the middle of the bottom of the sea — All 
ready? — 

All. 

Keady! Ready! 

Little Man. 

Climb in ! All aboard the Red Ark for Aleph Bes 
Land to see the Kinderlach ! 

^ All 

(Shout, as he plays ''Y'lodim Tsu''). 

All aboard! — All aboard! Good-bye everybody! 
Good-bye everybody! We're off for Aleph Bes 
Land ! Aleph Bes Land ! 

(The stage grotvs darker. ''The Boaf begins to 
disappear. Then voices are heard, as if from the 
air where the Boat is flying. The stage is empty. ) 



THE DOLLS JOIN THE PARTY 23 

Malkah^s Voice {in the air, of -stage). 
See! We are near the moon. Faster! Faster! 
O, there's my father down on the earth, saying the 
prayer before the new moon! Faster! Faster! 
Aleph, Toph !— I mean Aleph ! O ! O ! 

Shouts. 
{Of all the voices in the boat, in alarm). 
Look out ! O ! We're upset ! I don't care ! Where 
are we? The moon ! Over the moon ! O ! O ! 

{Screams and then silence. Darkness. Change of 
scene. ) 



24 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

SCENE 11. 

IN FKONT OF THE GATES OF THE LAND OF 
THE ALEPH BES. 

CHAEACTEES : 

All the Letters. "Oh^\ 
The Eebbl Malkah. 

"Eeh". 

"Eh^^ Children from Europe. 

"Ah^^ Children from Palestine. 

Children from America. 

This scene is represented hy a curtain placed well 
towards the front of the stage, so that there is 
enough of stage depth for a scene to he set behind 
this curtain. 

Here we have a design of the letters of the Hebrew 
Alphabet running across the top, like a valence, 
or ''border/^ 

The Curtain itself represents a stone wall set 
against a land of purple hills. 

The wall has three gateways, one on each side and 
one in the middle. The gates placed into these 
spaces are rectangular in shape — and see! They 
look like gigantic covers of Hebrew Books; later, 
when they swing open, it is as if a book were 
opening instead of a gate. 

The gate-cover at the right, in addition to vague 
Hebrew lettering, has imprinted on it an enlarged 
^'Aleph/' the middle one a "Bes" and the left, a 
''GimeU' 



TEE REVOLT OF TEE LETTERS 25 

The scene begins in a dim light; when the light 
grows a little stronger you can see the Aleph Bes 
Brigade that guards the Land at the gates. 

The letters of the Aleph Bes are lined up from 
Gimel to Resh — each letter a living character in 
white, with his ^^picture^' printed very large and 
clear on the front of his fiat little body — the 
printed letter reaching from neck to knees in the 
regular letters, and running down to the ankles 
on ^^final Choph/^ ^'final Feh./^ etc. 

At first, the Aleph Bes Brigade stands flat and still 
against the wall — like an inanimate line in the 
page of a book. 

Gradually they appear to be coming to life — then 
the line marches forward, toivards the footlights. 
The song begins, and as the Brigade sings, a 
^^drilV' of words is executed by the letters who 
run together in groups like ''words,'' then form 
other ''words/' etc. 

(SONG OF THE GUARDS OF THE GATE.) 

Hush! Hush! 

Hush! Hush! 
Lo ! the Kinderlach sleep and forget ; 
Come ye letters of the Alphabet! 

{Now sung and drilled in the manner of a roll-call, 
each letter stepping forward and announcing 
himself. ) 

Peh! Heh! 

Ches! Tes! 

Gimel! Baled! Lamed! Zayin! Ayin. 

Wake from your sleep in your books' closed cover 

And come to your land, till the night is over. 



26 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BE8 

REFRAIN. 

O, we are the guards of Aleph Bes Land, 

The Rebbi is the gener-al — attend to his command ! 

(Drilling in front of the three respective gates.) 

At the gate of Love, 

At the gate of Joy, 

At the gate of Help, 

For girl and boy! 
Guard the gates! The line of letters stand. 
And wait to hear the general's command. 
Ho ! Guards of the gate of Aleph Bes Land ! 

( When the song is ended the line returns to its first 
position against the tvall.) 

YODH 

(Steps forward as drill master). 
Letters, in line! (They form a straight line.) 
I will call the roll. Aleph! (Pause. Silence.) Bes! 
(Same.) Where are Aleph? Bes? 

Vov 
(Steps forward, salutes). 
They left in the great Red Ark. 

GiMEL. 

With Toph and Shin and the Rebbi. 

Nun. 
They have not returned. 
(A sound of tumbling masses is heard off stage.) 

YoDH ( listening intently ) . 
Our Master and our brothers and the Red Ark — 
coming ! 



TEE REVOLT OF TEE LETTERS 27 

(The line breaks and all rush to the side to look 
off.) 

TOPH 

{Alone, very much frightened and upset, enters, 
sobbing). 

It wasn't my fault ! Malkah, the little girl she — 
told me to — steer — and — and — 

(Commotion among the letters. ^^Whafs hap- 
pened F' They break ranks and form around 
Toph.) 

ToPH (explosively ; sobbing). 
It was Aleph's fault. The Red Book tumbled 
upside down and we all tumbled out — all over Aleph 
Bes Land ! 

All. 
What! 

Toph (weeping bitterly). 
And I don't know where the Aleph fell and I 
don't know where Bes, or Shin are; and I don't 
know where Malkah fell, or the Boy-doll or the 
Girl-doll.... 

All. 
What does he mean? What is it? 

Toph. 
And the Rebbi — the Rebbi is lost too ! 

All. 
What! Where? 

Toph. 
In the air ! Over the biggest book ! Somewhere 
over the moon, I'm afraid! 



28 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BE8 

All {in consternation). 
The Rebbi^s lost! O! [Excited, loud groups 
form. ) 

Ches (steps forward). 
Sh! 
(Slotvly and with dark meaning iwvites the other 
letters around him.) 

If the Rebbi doesn't come back — we'll rule over 
all of Aleph Bes Land ! And not one child will we 
admit into it again from anywhere in the world! 

All (looking into the audience). 
See onr four cousins, the Vowels, are coming! 

(Suddenly from the hack of the audience's seats 
there appear Four Vowels, Ee, Eh, Ah, and Oh. 

They rush up the aisles and up to the stage, one 
after the other and each in turn falls at the feet 
of the ^^Yodh/' thus making a letter-with-vowel 
appearance. Ee comes up first.) 

YODH. 

Where do you come from, "Ee"? 

Eb. 

I come from the East. Jewish Children are com- 
ing from the East to see the Land of the Aleph Bes. 
They want to go thru the gate of Joy. 

(Points to Gate Aleph. Ee kneels to another letter 
and Eh rushes up on the stage.) 

YODH. 

"Eh" why do you shake so? 



THE REVOLT OF THE LETTERS 29 

Eh. 
I come from the West. Jewish Children are com- 
ing from the West of the world to see Aleph Bes 
Land. They want the gates of Love opened for 
them. 

{Points to Gate Bes.) 
(Ah rushes up. Same stage action.) 

YODH. 

"Ah" where are you from? 

Ah. 
I come from the South. Jewish children from the 
Southland are coming to see Aleph Bes Land. They 
want to pass thru Help Street, I have come to kneel 
at your feet. I beg you to let them in. (Murmurs 
of ^^No^' ^^No^^ among the soldier letters.) (^^Oh^' 
rushes up.) 

.YODH. 

"Oh!" 

Oh. 

I come from the Northland. Jewish children 
want to come to Aleph Bes Land and see all the 
beautiful things behind the gates. Please let them 
in. 
(Murmurs of decided "]Vo.^^) 

Ches (darkly). 
Hear me brothers! These Jewish children have 
never learned their Alphabet in Hebrew. They 
don't know us at all. Me they don't even recognize. 
Let's take revenge and not let them into our Jewish 
Wonderland. 
(Shmtsof'Qoodr ''Goodr) 



30 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Daled. 
I don't care if every picture of me in the Hebrew 
books burns to ashes! 

Tes. 
I'm tired of Jewish children anyhow. I'm red 
and blue being written in their copybooks. 

KuP. 
Here I stay, I don't go back to Cheder for the 

rest of my life! 

Several. 
No more Cheder! No more Cheder! Stay here! 

Choph. 
As hard as I've tried to make Jewish children 
learn my name — O, what's the use? 

Several (Shout), 
We'll never go back to Cheder ! Never ! 

Lamed. 
I don't care ! Everybody stay away from Hebrew 
School ! 

Mem. 
Stay here! Be awake all day and all night! 

Heh. 
No more sleeping in old books! 

Zayin. 
Jewish children are tyrants. Keep us closed up 
in pages on shelves forever! 



THE REVOLT OF THE LETTERS 31 

KOFF. 

I've been trying to teach Jewish children for sev- 
eral thousand years and they still don't know me 
from my twin brother. 

Loud Shouts. 
"No more Cheder!" "No more Cheder!" "Stay 
here !" "Forever !" "Burn the books !" etc. 

YoDH {stepping forward) , 
You talk as if you were not Hebrew Letters at all. 
Be ashamed of yourself ! Every Jewish child knows 
me and can write me when it's three years old. It's 
not Jewish children's fault that Ches makes him- 
self so hard. 

Ches 
(Rushes at Yodh angrily ^ hisses). 
Ch! Ch! Ch! I'll throw you out of the book! 
(Commotion among the letters.) 

Yodh (wards Ches off). 
And what will the Kebbi say when he returns to 
Aleph Bes Land? 

Ches. 
Ch ! Ch ! I believe the Kebbi is lost forever ! He 
left Aleph Bes Land, and he will never come back. 
Didn't you hear what Toph just said. Hoorah! 
The Rebbi will never make us stand in line again, 
or tell us what to do and what not to do! I say 
take all this Aleph Bes Land for ourselves and turn 
it upside down, and do everything the Rebbi said 
not to do ! Make me the first letter of the alphabet. 



32 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

All. 
Hooray ! 

A Few Letters 
(Looking into the audience). 
Children are coming to Aleph Bes Land ! 

Oh (pleading). 
Jewish children from the Northland ! 

Ah (same). 
Jewish children from the Southland. 

Ee (same). 
Jewish children from the Eastland. 

Eh (same). 
Jewish children from the Westland. 

Ches 
(Pushing them all against the wall). 
In line, I tell you, and pretend you're only 
printed, not alive! The children must not get in! 

(The letters stand ^'dead^' against the walls, barring 
the gate. 

Four groups of tiny children come up from the 
audience. 

One is composed of Russian Jewish children hud- 
dling with their mothers, as though afraid, and 
weeping. The other group is a set of American 
kiddies, the third are modern Palestinian hoys, 
and the fourth are cute Dutch children. 

They come up the stage in their respective atti- 



THE REVOLT OF THE LETTERS 33 

tudes. Then they go about examining everything 

wonderingly, and exclaiming, ^^Aleph Bes Land! 

Wonderland! Here it is!'' 
They touch the inanimate Hehreiv Letters and try 

to peer into the barred gates. 
The Russian Jewish kiddies alone remain near 

their mothers, apart from the rest, and sobbing.) 

Ches 

(Suddenly steps forward). 

Go away all you children ! We won't let you into 

Aleph Bes Land anymore — not even in your 

dreams! You shall be stupid for the rest of your 

lives ! 

{All the children, frightened, make for the steps, 
shouting in fear; the Rebbi's fiddle is heard and 
all are instantly frozen in their places. As the 
melody of ^^Aufn PripicheW comes nearer the 
Letters become rigid and the children, lured by 
the music, press on slowly and silently toward 
the stage entrance whence the music comes. All 
seem happy in this pantomime group except the 
Russian Jeioish children.) 

The Eebbi ( enters ) . 
Dear Jewish children from all over the world! 
Have no fear! 

{He turns reproachfully to the Letters; at his com- 
ing they quake and shake fearfully. They stand 
shamefacedly before the Rebbi on one side of 
the stage while the groups of children stand on 
the other side, with eager hopeful faces. 
Pause. 



34 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BE8 

The Rehhiy in the center of the stage, turns first to 
the letters,) 

Rebel 
Ches! 

(Ches steps forward trembling.) 
I know who hoped I would never come back. 

You, Ches, who have everything in the world — two 

strong legs and a fine head! 

(Ches begins to sniffle, several other of the rebel- 
lious letters also put their hands to their eyes.) 
Come, come, don't cry! That's what makes you 

seem rubbed out in a book. Stand up, in a straight 

line. 

(They brace up with an effort.) 
You shall be punished — but not now. I have very 

important things to do. I have guests to welcome I 

All the Children 
(Shouting with glee), 
"The Rebbi !" "The Rebbi !" "The Rebbi will let 
us in !" 

The Rebbi 

(Sternly to the Letters), 

Let three of you go to find the little girl and the 

boy doll and the girl doll. Even if they do not 

recognize you, bring them here by the magic of my 

songs. 

(Vov, Nun and Gimel go out. The Rebbi turns to 

explain to the Kinderlach.) 

I went to bring another little girl and her friends 

here — but (sadly) I have lost her, for I could not 

teach her to recognize the Letters, and she made 



THE REVOLT OF THE LETTERS 35 

such a blunder! But you may go into Aleph Bes 
Land, and see its wonder-places now ! 

(A commotion of protest among the Letters.) 

Voices Among the Letters. 
"They don't know me!" "Nor me!" "I vote 
against them !" "I'll fight to the last !" etc. 

Voices Among the Children. 
"We do !" "I can read a Bible !" "I know every 
letter!" 

Letters. 
"Come on, prove it!" "Show us!" "You can't 
get in!" 

(The stage is filled tvith heated arguments; the 
groups of children shout their ability as readers 
and knoicers of the letters, and the latter chal- 
lenge the claims, at the same time standing firm 
against the gates to bar all the children. Both 
groups shout to the Rebbi to decide for them.) 

Eebbi 
(Goodnaturedly makes himself heard; the din dies 
doivn ivhile he speaks). 
My kinderlach! My letters! Fight it out for 
yourselves. This is my decision! Any letter that 
stands before a gate and cannot be recognized may 
stand there and defend the gate until one of the 
Kinderlach can name him. But, whoever of the 
Kinderlach names a letter can go thru the gate. 
Ready ! 

{A loud din and the game commences. 



36 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

The letters jump in front of the gates time and time 
again, only to he named triumphantly hy a child, 
who quickly passes thru; it is like a ^Hag'^ game. 

The letters are losing steadily, Nearly all the chil- 
dren, shouting ivith glee, have passed thru one 
gate or another. 

Then the letters combine in front of the gates- 
still the kinderlach ivin! 

Finally one girl is left alone. She is a little be- 
wildered and Heh and Ches, thinking to take ad- 
vantage of her, quickly change places at the gates, 
as in a game of ^Hag-hases^' and the little girl 
fails, because she calls Heh, ^^Ches.'' 

All the letters laugh mischievously. The girl starts 
to cry, catches herself quickly, cries ^^Heh" — and 
passes thru. 

The stage is now clear of the children. They are 
heard on the other side of the curtain for awhile; 
evidently they are very happy there. 

The Letters, greatly disappointed at their defeat 
take sullen attitudes near the gates. 

The ReMi puts fiddle to chin and begins the melody 
of ^'Haas Hashemesh/' in which all the children 
back stage help. 

Enter Malkah, with Aleph and Gimel. She is de- 
spondent. The letters stand still and "dead^^ 
^ against the ivall. ) 

Malkah 
{Seeing the Rebbi, rushes towards him). 
O Rebbi! Rebbi! Ask-a-lot and I-don't-care are 
lost! (sobs.) O — Rebbi — please — find them — 



THE REVOLT OF TEE LETTERS 37 

Kebbi (gladly). 
Malkah! my letters have found you! They will 
find the others, too! Aleph, for your loyalty in 
tumbling after her you shall be the first letter of 
the Alphabet forever. (Aleph hows and goes in 
front of Gate Aleph.) And you (to the letter Gimel 
who accompanies her) some day I shall tx your 
broken foot for you ! ( Gimel limps joyfully to posi- 
tion in front of Gate Gimel.) 

Malkah 
(Profusely apologetic and still sohhing). 
O Kebbi! Forgive me for steering the boat 
wrong. I upset it, and now my dolls are lost ! 

Rebbi. 
Don't weep little Malkah. My brave little letters 
will find them and bring them to this gate just as 
they found you. You are unhappy. Shall I take 
you to the land of Joy, where Jewish children 
laugh and play? 

Malkah (eagerly), 
Rebbi — is there really a land of Joy for Jewish 
Kinderlach? 

Rebbi (musing). 
The joy of little Jewish children is In little letters 
—^mysterious letters (points to the background) 
that mean now one thing, now another. 

(Yery silently the letters are drilling at the hack 
of the stage into new formations. Malkah looks 
hut cannot understand.) 
Ask them what they know — they can tell you so 



38 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

many things ! Sometimes the letters come together 
among themselves so (pointing to a stand in the 
drill) and they are a happy story. Or so — (the let- 
ters have drilled into new ^-words'') and you will 
shed tears listening to them. 

Malkah 
{Dazed, evidently not seeing the letters). 

But I don't know them — I can't see — I don't 
understand — 

Kebbi {amused). 

Ah — ^you must know where the letters hide or 
you will never find them. You must search them 
out of the pages of their books like flowers in tall 
grass. {Confidentially) My letters sleep in books 
and pretend they cannot speak at all. But if you 
discover them in their pages, and call their names 
aloud — fast! — and several together — they are glad 
to be awakened — and then! — they will tell you 
stories — they will sing songs with you — they will 
play games with you! In the Land of Story and 
Game and Song! ^ 

Malkah. 

I want to see the land behind those gates. I want 
to see the joy-places in Aleph Bes Land! Teach 
me, Rebbi, and let me know the letters ! 

Rebbi. 
Here they stand, guarding the gates! Do you 
know him now? {Pointing to Aleph, who stands 
in front of gate Aleph.) 

Malkah. 
O that's Aleph. That's the one that helped me! 



THE REVOLT OF TEE LETTERS 39 

Eebbi. 
He guards the first gate of childhood — of the very 
littlest Kinderlaeh. That is the gate that leads to 
the land of Play and Joy! 

Malkah 
{Pointing to Gate Bes and Gimel and to the other 
letters). 
What are those gates and those letters? 

Rebel 
Those are other places in Aleph Bes Land. 
(Wistfully. ) Don't ask the names of the rest of the 
letters — better you should not know — for a Jewish 
child plays when it knows only Aleph — if it knows 
more it stops playing ! Ask Aleph to let you in. 

Malkah. 
Aleph — Aleph ! Let me in to see the joy of Jewish 
children ! 

Aleph 
(Slowly and ceremoniously opens the gate, shouts 
to the region heyond). 
Prepare the joy of Jewish children. Malkah is 
coming ! 

(Malkah goes up to the gate, hut remains there, 
waiting for the Rehhi. ) 

The Rebbi (to the Letters). 
Let no Letter of all my land sleep either at night 
or at daybreak till the other two children are found. 
(A murmur of discontent among the Letters.) Be 



40 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

silent, Letters. {The Letters stand still. Rehhi 
looks at their pitiful situation^ and relents.) No, 
I will not punish you now. You may go off and 
make new songs for children to sing tomorrow. 
{A happy noise, letters fall into small groups, hum 

gladly. ) 

Only come when I call you ! 
(Singing joyfully, the letters scatter off and fly 

away on all sides like a flock of birds released 

from imprisonment. 
The Rehhi alone remains, smiling after them, then 

he turns and notices Malkah waiting patiently 

at the gate of Joy. He takes up his fiddle and 

starts to play ^^Kum Tzu Mir in Cheder'lV — 

Malkah, fascinated, advances to him and takes 

his arm.) 

The Eebbi {guiding Malkah). 

Come to the land of the Kinderlach's song and 
story and play! 
{Sounds of joy off-stage. The Rehhi leads Malkah 

and together they go thru the gate Aleph to the 

Land of Joy.) 
(Darkness — Change of scene.) 



THE LAND OF JOY 41 

SCENE III. 
"PLAYLAND IN ALEPH BES LAND.'' 

CHARAOTEES: 

Four Trees. 

"TziGELE/^a white pet goat. 

Joseph, a real story. 

Four Moishelach or Shloimelach (Russian Kin- 
derlach). 

The Letters that Make Pictures. 

Two Winds. 

The Letters that Make Songs. 

The Dutch Jewish Kiddies. 

The Palestine Children. 

Other Groups of Jewish Children from Amer- 
ica^ Europe — all of Kindergarten Age. 

Rebbi. 

Malkah. 

(The Woods of Springtime^ late on a bright after- 
noon. 

In the background and at the sides are trees, and 
■flotvers beginning to bloom. 

All over this happy woods are groups of children. 
If we had not seen them before we would think 
there are a million of them here. But we know 
they are only the tiny Dutch and American and 
Palestinian Jewish children we saw entering the 
gates. 

Here they are, sprawling on the ground in the 
oddest groups. They are looking towards the 
center of the stage, as if a ^^ make-believe'^ were 



42 TEE LAUD OF ALEPH BES 

going on therey and how they are enjoying them- 
selves!) 

Glad Voices of All Groups. 
"Once more!" "Please do it again!" "O!" "I 
wish I could do that!" "Wait till I'm big!" "Do 
it again!" "There!" "There!" "Did you see!" 

{In the center of this ring, where all the delighted 
kiddies are so eagerly watching^ is ^^Tzigele/' a 
pure white pet goaty turning somersaults and do- 
ing tumhle-sets.) 

Voices Shouting. 
"O, Tzigele, Tzigele!" "Do it again, Tzigele!" 
"I wonder if my father would let me have such 
pet." "Isn't Tzigele beautiful !" "Again !" 

[Tzigele turns another tumhleset to please every- 
body; then stands up on two feet and looks 
around. ) 

Tzigele 
(Really impersonated hy a child, hut speaks amd 
acts like a pet goat). 
Meh — Meh — Meh! Kinderlach, Kinderlach, j'ou 
are all behaving exactly as your fathers and moth- 
ers used to do. 

All (Shout). 

Tzigele ! Tzigele ! Hooray ! Hooray for Tzigele ! 

Tzigele 
(Observes a very little Shloimelah sitting, alone in 
a corner, frisks up to him). 
Shloimelah, want a ride? 



TEE LAND OF JOY 43 

Shloimelah 
(Timidly gets on Tzigele's hack and gets a humpy 
ride across the stage — while Tzigeleh puffs and 
cries Meh — Meh! The little one laughs in spite 
of himself and all shout with glee). 

TZIGELE. 

Kinderlach, Kinderlach, what else shall I do? 

One Child. 
Bring us raisins ! 

Another Child. 
Bring us almonds! 

A Third Child. 
Eaisins and almonds! 

Several (quickly). 
Raisins ! Almonds ! 

TziGELE. 

(Nods his head from one to the other). 
You say raisins? Me-eh! You say almonds? 
Just like your fathers and mothers used to ask! 
Meeh! Good! Meh-Meh! Meh-Meh! 

(Ee runs off.) 
(All the children laugh, break up the groups that 
sat still, and form new lively laughing groups. ) 

The Rebbi 
(Enters with Malkah and comes to the front of the 
stage, to the right. None of the other children 
notices the newcomers. They simply continue 



44 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

playing in groups; several are trying to imitate 
Tzigele's tumhlesets^ hut alas! how it hurts when 
you turn over ivrong). 

Malkah. 

Rebbi ! This is the Tzigele my mother said was 
under my bed when I was in the cradle ! 

The Rebbi. 
{Stands in a corner; speaks to Malkah), 
Yes. Let me stand here, while you go and play. 

Malkah (surprised). 
But I want you to play, too ! 

The Rebbi. 

1 am too grown up. I don't belong. 

Malkah. 
Who does? 

The Rebbi. 
Children who can't pronounce very well — winds 
that are sunny and new — birds that come when 
children call them — Tzigele — games — songs — 
stories — all live here but no one who is too big to 
ride on Tzigele's back, or who sees the sun set. 

Malkah. 
Why, what do you mean about not seeing the 
sun set? 

The Rebbi (confidentially). 

The difference between a grown-up and a child in 
Aleph-Bes-Land is that the grown ups can pro- 
nounce long words like "tomorrow." 



THE LAND OF JOY 45 

Malkah. 

Like my mother and father! They always say 
"tomorrow." 

The Eebbi. 

And so they don't play — they work in the sun- 
shine for they think that is what it is made for. 
But Kinderlach fall asleep before the sun goes 
down and they do not even know the difference 
between today and tomorrow. They fall asleep in 
the sun and wake up in the sun. And so they play 
all day, for that's really what the sun is for. 

Malkah {delighted). 
Are all the children of the world here? 

Kebbi. 
No ! I wish they were ! 

Malkah. 
Will these stay here forever? 

Eebbi (regretfully). 

No. Only a very — very little while, before they 
start to learn. Then I take them elsewhere. 

(Suddenly a loud shout is heard from the groups 
of children loho have been playing quietly. They 
look off to the right, and some of them run there. ) 

Shouts of the Kinderlach. 

"A new one is coming !" "A new one !" "Quick !" 
"It's a new story !" "Here he is !" "O come, quick !" 



46 TEE LAND OF ALEPE BES 

Malkah 
(Still in the corner y to the BehM). 
What's that? 

Rebbi. 
You are in the land where stories are made! 

( The children drag in a young child, no older than 
themselves . Ee is dressed like a shepherd. ) 

The Palestinian Children. 
"He's ours!" "From our land!" "O he's very 
real !" 

All the Children. 
"He's real !" "He's very real !" "O he's real !' 

{All the children sit down in a ring, and wait 
breathlessly for the story hero to begin.) 

Joseph (the hero). 
(In center of the ring.) 
— And so my brothers sold me for a slave. 

(Ee puts his hand up before his eyes. All the little 
children on the stage imitate him entirely — in 
fact they become Josephs.) 

All the Children 
(Each acting the same way, speak together). 
— And so my brothers sold me for a slave. 
( They rise and repeat his manner and action, care- 
fully, all the tvhile they watch him with intense 
zeal. ) 

Joseph (the hero). 
But come— ^with me to Egypt — I shall be a prince 
there ! 



THE LAND OF JOY 47 

{He points to the left and starts to walk off.) 

All the Children 

(Imitate earnestly. They repeat). 

But come — with me to Egypt. I shall be a prince 
there ! 

{Joseph leads off and every single child follows him 
exactly as if there ivere that many Josephs! And 
all go off the stage to Egypt.) 

Rebbi {laughs). 
That's what a real story is! 

{Quite suddenly a group of the Letters of the Gate 
begin to come in. They enter very cautiously 
from the right, and look around, to make sure 
no children see them. 

Then one Letter takes the place of the ^^ Joseph^' 
and all the other Letters take the place of the 
^^children'^ and they act out everything Joseph 
and the children acted out, repeating everything 
exactly — only ivithout speaking one ivord. 

This very strange happening ends in the same way 
— the Joseph Letter goes off to the left and then 
all the Letters folloio him off.) 

Malkah {amazed). 
What are they playing? 

Rebbi. 
After a story happens once — real — my letters 
make a picture of the story. 



48 THE LAND OF ALEPH BE8 

Malkah. 
But where did the letters go — to Egypt, too? 

Kebbi. 
No. Into a book! 

(Another group of letters enter from the right. 
They dance and hum a song — the melody of 
'^IJnter die Greeninke Boimelach/' Then a few 
of these letters go out and bring in four tree- 
children, whom they place in four corners of the 
stage — and then the four tree-children become 
motionless. Their faces are covered with green 
arm-houghs. 

The Letters hum their song more and more loudly 
and dance in a ring around the ^^trees.^' 

Eebbi. 
And these are the Letters that make up the songs 
for my kinderlach. 

(The Letters look off to the left and, seeing chil- 
dren approaching, they run off and disappear at 
the right of the stage. 

Four very tiny Russian Jewish Kinderlach, little 
hoys, loith hig hlack eyes and wearing side locks; 
dressed in odd, old-fashioned Tzizes and Kepot- 
kelach, come in and sit at the foot of the ''trees/' 
on the ground. The melody of TJnter die Green- 
inke Boimelach is played off-stage. Tzigele frisks 
thru the scene running between the trees with a 
glad ''Mee'' — and then off. The four little chil- 
dren look up quickly, happy at Tzigele's appear- 
ance. 



I 



THE LAND OF JOY 49 

Now the singing is clearly heard, and the four Kin- 
derlach are acting out the song, line hy line. 

"Unter Die Greeninke Boimelach." 

The four Moishelach and Shloimelach start a game 
of tag, ivith the tree-children as posts. 

Then one of them discovers an apple on the ground 
— so it is '^eatcW^ for a while. 

But mischievous Shloimelah must find some more 
lively game so he starts '^ fighting'^ hy throwing 
down Moishelah. Poor Moishelah! He sticks his 
chuhhy fist into his eyes as if to ask the tears to 
begin to come doivn his cheeks. 

But he is only "make Relieving.'' As soon as he is 
seated on the ground, the others, believing it a 
good time to tease him, come up behind him; 
and one pulls his Tzitzis — one his "Kapotkeh/^ 
and the third his earlock. 

This is tvhat Moishelah has been waiting for. He 
jumps up and is after them. 

They are taken by surprise and all four tumble and 
roll on the ground, laughing in great glee. 

When they are very tired of laughing they take hold 
of each others' hands and sit in a roio, shoulder 
to shoulder. They pretend to be blowing a wind 
through their lips. 

But here the tvind-children themselves appear. They 
dance in like fairies, and circle around, several 
times; once around a tree, once all around the 
stage, and once around the four Kinderlach, who 
jump and try to catch the winds. 

There is a merry chase. The little fellows think 



50 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

they have caught the winds, hut these keep danc- 
ing and jumping away as soon as they feel a hand 
on them. 

Now the birdies come to the rescue of the winds. 

As soon as the Kinderlach see the birdies coming 
at them from all four sides they try to escape, 
but now both birds and winds are after the kid- 
dies, and of course they are caught, and surren- 
der, but not without several attempts to wriggle 
out. 

The birdies force the four Kinderlach to join hands 
with each other in a little ring, they then escape 
with the winds, and disappear. 

The little Kinderlach laugh merrily and sprawl 
under the trees. 

End of the song, ^^Unter die Greeninke Boimelach." 

MOISHELAH. 

Aren't birds funny! 

Shloimelah. 
I nearly caught the wind, but I couldn't hold it 
all myself. Why didn't you help me? {They start 
to play again,) 

Malkah 
{loho has watched from her corner, now speaks to 
Rebbi), 
O, am I too grown-up? I want to sing and play 
with them too. 

Eebbi. 
Stay and play. I will leave you soon. You are 
safe here. 



THE LAND OF JOY 51 

Malkah. 
Stay with me until I go from here. 

Kebbi. 
I can only stay till the sun is setting and the 
children fall asleep. Then I must go to other places 
in Aleph Bes Land where there are other kinds of 
Jewish children. 

Malkah. 
As happy as these? 

Eebbi. 
I can't tell you. But if you are awake when these 
are asleep you may come with me. If you are asleep 
I must leave you here. 

(A loud happy shouting arises of -stage and im- 
mediately the troops of kiddies rush on the stage, 
full of tumultuous play-ground spirit. They 
shout and call joyfully. 

The Moishelach und Shloimelach, the Birds, WindSy 
and all the rest — even the trees, come into the 
mass of laughter and are caught up in the swirl 
of gayety.) 

The Children. 
"Aleph Land! Aleph Land!'' "Isn't it wonder- 
ful !" "I'm so happy !" "Play with me !" 

{They suddenly observe Malkah and several rush 
for her.) 

"Aleph Land !" "A new friend !" "A new Jewish 
girl in Aleph Land !" "Here's a new girl !" "Happy 
Street !" "Let's play !" "Hurrah !" etc. 
{They begin to form a great ring around her, danc- 



52 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

ing and singing^ laughing and shouting all the 
time. ) 

Malkah 

(Embarrassed and bewildered) . 

Let me out of the ring. Please! I don't know 
anything about how to play in Aleph Bes Land ! 

All the Children 
(Very lively), 
"We'll show you !" "Show the new girl !" etc. 

(A smaller group twine themselves about Malkah 
and whirl her off to the side of the stage to 
watch; the rest form a large loose ring in the 
center of the stage and on-e child saunters forth 
merrily to sing "TJnter die Greeninke Boime- 
lach'' again. All join in immediately. At the 
end of the verse the Tzigele runs thru again. 

Tzigele! Tzigele! He has raisins! Almonds! 

{Tzigele throivs raisins and almonds to all the 
children. ) 

{All form' a great triumphant circle^ with Malkah 
pedestaled in the center. Here is a scene of riot- 
ous child happiness in the great sweeping circle, 
the swinging melody and the cheers of aV.' the 
children. And Malkah is the center of it all. ) 

Malkah {Cries suddenly). 

Rebbi! Rebbi! See, the sun is setting. It will 
be dark till tomorrow. 



I 



THE LAND OF JOY 53 

The Children. 
(Break the ring sloioly^ look about bewildered 
and puzzled). 
"To-mor-row?" 'To-morrow?" '^What's that?^' 
''What is 'to-morrow?' " 

(And sloivly, tvhile they murmur ^ one by one drop 
aicay and fall slowly to the ground. Malkali 
struggles ivith herself, but also falls asleep. Even 
'^Tzigelah/^ sounds ^^MeeW and then the tvhole 
stage is asleep. The Rebbi stands and surveys the 
scene. Tableaux. Darkness. Change of scene.) 



54 ^ THE LAND OF ALEPH BE8 
SCENE IV. 

"IN FRONT OF THE GATES OF ALEPH BES 
LAND AGAIN." 

CHARACTERS : 

Vov. Rebbi. 

Bes. Long Choph. 

The Rehhi^s fiddle is heard inside, in the Street of 
Joy, playing at the end ^^XJnter Yidele's Vigele/^ 
Bes and Vov, two of the three Messenger Guards 
enter from Gate Bes. They search excitedly for 
the Rehhi, then knock on one gate after another, 
crying ^^RehhiT ^'RehMF' The Rehhi re-enters 
from Joy Street.) 

Vov. 
We have found him, Rebbi! 

Rebbi. 
I-don't-care? 

Vov. 
Yes, I was guarding my night woods where sleep- 
ing little Jewish boys grow in their dreams when 
suddenly he tumbled out of the sky — 

Bes. 

—With me! 

Rebbi (anxiously). 
No one stopped growing on account of him? 

Vov. 
No! There were very, very few children in the 
grow by night woods. Only Yankele — the little 



HOW ''I-DOWT-CARW WAS FOUND 55 

scholar. He is so wise and busy studying the Torah 
all day. 

Bes. 
He has no time to grow when the sun shines. 

Vov. 
I take him to the woods every night and he doesn't 
know how big he has grown till he wakes up in the 
morning and tries to put his old clothes on to go 
to Cheder. 

Rebel 
Only Yankele there? 

Vov. 
There's Choneh, he doesn't do anything but dream 
all day — so he must grow at night too ! And Zekiel 
always wanting things during the day. 

Bes. 
And Sholom was there too; he's the youngest in 
his house and there's no room for him to grow in 
his own home. 

Rebbi. 

And how did it happen I-don't-care fell there? 

Bes. 
As Ave went flying thru the new moon I asked him 
where he wanted to go. He said "I-don't-care!" 
So I landed him where he could grow. 

Rebbi. 
Wise Bes! Who's on guard in the land where 
Jewish kinderlach grow, with Choneh and Zekiel, 
and Sholom, and Yankele, and I-don't-care. 



56 TEE LAND OF ALEPE BES 

Vov. 
I left Long Ohoph. He promised to make them 
grow as long as his one leg. 

Rebbi. 
You have done your duty. You may have your 
pictures taken again for the new Hebrew book. 
{Long Choph rushes in.) 

Long Choph (panting). 
Come and help ! O, Rebbi, help me ! 

Rebbi. 
What is it? 

Long Choph (in terror). 
I can't make a certain little boy grow ! 

Rebbi ( reproachfully ) . 
Long Choph ! Have you failed in such easy work? 

Long Choph. 
I can't! It's the new little boy! 

Rebbi. 
Ldon't-care? 

Long Choph. 
That's it! That's what he says. He refuses to 
grow up. I can't make him, O I can't make him — 
O! help! 

Rebbi. 
Does he know where he is? 

Long Choph. 
Yes — That is why he says he does not want to 
grow up. And O — Rebbi — he's spoiling the other 



HOW ''I-DON'T-CARE'' WAS FOUND 57 

children — he's talking so wildly — I can't under- 
stand why — but I know Ezekiel and the others 
won't grow either tonight — and what kind of a let- 
ter will you say I — am — I feel so small. ( Goes down 
on his knees in shame.) 

Kebbi. 
It is a very serious matter. Does he demand any- 
thing yqu can^t give him? 

Long Choph (piqued). 
He doesn't even recognize me or — my — position ! 

Kebbi. 
Does he cry? 

Long Choph. 
No, only refuses to grow up. Says "I don't 



care 



vy 



Rebbi. 

Then / must go myself — forward Letters to the 
Land where the Kinderlach grow. Thru the gates 
of Love! (Calls off-stage.) Letters! (All the Let- 
ters except Alephy Oimel, Toph, Shin and Nun rush 
in.) Stand guard! Await my call! 
(Bes opens the middle gate. The Rehhi turns to the 

other Letters.) 

No more songs till this child is happy and the 
third child is found. 

Bes 
(Opens Gate Bes, and calls aloud). 

Prepare the land of love! The Rebbi comes! 
(All the letters stand at attention against the ivall. 
The Rehhi passes thru gate. Darkness. Change of 
Scene. ) 



58 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

SCENE V. 

''TEE LAND WHERE JEWISH CHILDREN 
GROW/' 

CHARACTERS : 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

Yank^le, the tvise little student, -x Four little 
Choneh, the dreamer. Russian 

'Zekiel^, very hungry. Jewish 

Sholom^ timid. J Boys. 

Choneh^s Mother. Sholom^s Mother. 

Yankele^s Mother. The Rebbi. 

Zekiel^'s Mother. "Bes.^^ 

The Letters of the Alphabet. 

{The setting is very much like the one in which 
The Land of Joy was seen. There is the same sug- 
gestion of woods in background and at the sides. 

But the human trees are gone. The mood, too, is 
very different. This is moonlight^ and a quaint 
dreamlike atmosphere of phantasy and poetry 
gives character to the scene. 

As the curtains part, I-don't-care is seen in the cen- 
ter of the stage J seated on a tree-stump. The moon 
is shining down on his face. 

Before him- on the ground^ are four little Russian 
Jewish boys, like those of the previous scene, hut 
apparently grown up several years, into the age 
of the Cheder. They are dressed in Tzizis, Kapot- 
kelach, etc.; hut now they are no longer joyous. 
Their most striking characteristic is their wan 
wise little expressions. 



/zY THE ''aROW-BY-NIGHT'' WOODS 59 

The four are in the following tableaux — 
At the extreme right is Yankele, an ^^old man 
child/' with 'burning, eager eyes and a sad, know- 
ing face. Next is Choneh, a dreamy little fellow. 
In the center of the semi-circle is I-don't-care. 
Then to the left, is Zehiel, whose look is of a lad 
who is eternally hungry. Finally at the extreme 
left is Sholom, a shy, cramped fellow, ivho is al- 
ways afraid of taking up too much room, and is 
crowding himself fearfully, though the space is 
large and open. 
The first impression you get is of a rebel I -don't- 
care, preaching defiance to a crew of four very 
much shocked youngsters... Inwardly, secretly, 
they sympathize and wish they could have his 
courage — but their sense of being ^^good Jetvish 
kinder'' forbids anything except horror at this 
strange defiance.) 

I-DON^T-CARE ( doggedly ) . 
I don't care! I have made up my mind. I will 
not grow up ! 

Choneh 
(Whispers, trembling, to Yankele), 
Where is his mother? 

Yankele. 
She must have gone for a doctor. 

I-DON^T-CARE 

(Overheard what they said). 
(Scornfully) A doctor indeed! I tried to talk to 
my mother all day long, and she never understood 
me! Because she thinks I'm a baby! 



60 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Yankele {very wise). 
Wait till you're grown up — like me. You'll know 
all the words in the world then. 

I-DON^T-c ARE ( quicMy ) . 
I know them now. It's better to be like me. I 
still remember what the angels told me. You don't. 

Yankele (hurt). 
But I have learned words, and things ^ and how 
to obey. 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

But I will never grow up, I tell you, I will never 
grow up! 

The Kebbi ( enters ivith Vov ) . 

You are in my kingdom. I understand every 
word you speak. 

I-DON^T-CARE (pathetically) . 
And do you think I am wrong? 

Rebbi. 
No. I am the Rebbi. I know the hearts of chil- 
dren. Perhaps you are right. Tell me why you do 
not want to grow up. It hurts your mother so when 
you don't. 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

I don't care to. My angel told me what will be- 
come of me when I grow up to be a Jewish man. 
I will be sad all day. I will cry sometimes, and 
sometimes I will just be still because I will be 
ashamed to cry. My angel says all Jewish children 
are born for that. 



IX THE ''GROW-BY-NIGHr' WOODS 61 

Yankele 
But you will learn so much, by it, won't he, Rebbi? 

I-don^'t-care. 
I don't want to grow up, then. I'll stay as I 
am now. 

Sholom. 
You can't! Your mamma will say you are very 
sick, and cry over you ! 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

There! Cry! Salt tears — that's it; cry all day. 
I think children must be loved, and if you cry it is 
a sign your mother doesn't love you, isn't it? 

Choneh (dreamily). 
I think that's how Jewish mothers love — when 
they cry. 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

I will not be a Jewish boy then. 

Rebbi (sternly). 
But you must ! You have a Jewish mother. 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

I'll go back. 

Zekiel. 
You'll be hungrier there ! 

Vov (desperately). 
I cannot let a Jewish mother lose her boy! 

Rebbi (softly). 
Is it so sad to be a Jewish child in the world? 
Tell him Choneh, Zekiel, Sholom, Yankele. 



62 THE LAND OF ALEPH BE8 

Sholom (timidly). 
The truth? 

Rebbi. 
Of course ! This is my own Kingdom. ( The chil- 
dren 'begin to unburden their hearts.) 

Sholom. 
I am grown up. I am seven years old. I have 
never played. My mother says a Jewish boy must 
study, not play. 

Choneh. 
My mother cuffs me everyday. I am dreaming 
about birds, and (sobbing) Jewish — boys — mustn't 
talk of such things. 

Zekiel. 
I think my mother doesn't like me at all. When 
it was my birthday she kissed me — and every other 
day she says I'm good for nothing, and I go hun- 
gry. ( The sobs are contagious — all the four weep. ) 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

And you're crying! You're crying! Because 
you're grown up — big Jewish boys! Seven years 
old — eight years old! All day you cry — because 
you're Jewish children. 

Choneh (slyly). 

no! I only cry half the time, but I do it so 
hard, I fall asleep in half an hour— and I know 
when I'm asleep (confidentially) my father isn't 
angry with me. My father pats my head. Fathers 
kiss you when you're asleep! 

Zekiel (outraged), 

1 don't believe it! 



m THE ''GROW-BY-NIGHT'' WOODS 63 

Sholom (same). 
How do you know? 

Choneh (sheepishly). 
I made believe I was asleep once — my father 
kissed me — I remember — 

Kebbi (tenderly). 
Poor little fellows — if your mothers only ex- 
plained things to you.. Yodh — (calls off stage) 
quick, bring their mothers. 

I-DON^T-CARE 

(More defiant than ever). 
I don't care! My angel told me what my mother 
is going to do to me. I will not grow up ! . . . . 

(The four ''MamelacW enter. They are old, before 
their time — They are dressed in ''fa-tche-les'' and 
wigSy wearing old fashioned skirts and waists. 
The entrance of these mothers is like the move- 
ment of figures walking in a dream. Yodh leads 
them with a magic spell, into the center of the 
half -ring of children. ) 

Choneh^s Mother (frightened). 
What is this? 

Sholom^s Mother (same). 
My children?. . . . 

All Four. 
Are my children safe in bed? 
(The four kinderlach stare, hut remain motionless.) 



64 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Rebbi. 
Safe ! Safe ! Don't you see you have come to the 
land of your kinderlach; I summoned you. 

Yankele^s Mother {anxiously). 
Is it in a dream? If it is day I cannot stay. My 
child needs me. 

Rebbi. 
You are asleep far away and so are your little 
ones, but I have brought you to my land to answer 
the questions your children never dare ask you in 
the day time. 

YODH {aside to Rehhi). 
I and several other letters fell from her lips in 
a dream. She thought she was saying her little 
boy's name. 

Rebbi {to I-donH-care) . 
Listen carefully and you will understand! 

{The Rehhi motions; the children suddenly spring 
up and each rushes to his mother^ and lovingly 
Jjrings her near him. Greetings, signs of childish 
afection, etc. 

The four little families take separate places, as the 
children sat hefore; and although all are sup- 
posedly talking, the audience hears one group at 
a time, according as the Rehhi directs I -don't- 
care's attention.) 

Rebbi. 

Remember where you are. Speak out what is in 
your hearts. 
(Directs attention towards Choneh and Ms mother 

and we hear,) 



IN THE ''GROW-BY-NIGHT'' WOODS 65 

Choneh 
{With a child's yearning). 
Mother, why aren't Jewish fathers allowed to 
love their children? 

Mother. 
A Jewish boy mustn't ask such questions ! 

Ohoneh (wearily). 
There! There! I am so tired of hearing what a 
Jewish boy mustn't do! 

The Eebbi 
(Sternly to Choneh' s mother). 
Do you mean that? 

Mother 
(No longer ahle to restrain herself). 

my little son, if you knew how we love you! 
How I love you! 

Choneh (pleading). 
Then why don't you say it to me when I'm in the 
house? 

Mother. 

1 am ashamed, child. 

Choneh ( dreamily ) . 
Is there anything mothers are ashamed of? I 
thought only Jeivish children must be ashamed. 

Mother. 
My dear, no ! You are all I have in the world — 
and if I told you how very much I care for you, 
my little Jewish child — it would be too much — I'm 
afraid you could never love me so much ! 



66 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Choneh 
{Throwing his arms around her). 
Mother I do love you so much ! 

{Attention is turned towards ^ZeMel and his 
the midst of his conversation. The first we hear 
is. .) 

Sholom {pleading). 
Then, mother, tell me, ivhy mustn't I play? 

Mother. 
I don't know, except because you are a Jew, and 
little Jews must not waste time on such things. 

Sholom. 
Didn't you want to play when you were a little 
girl? 

Mother { slowly , musing). 
Yes. 

Sholom {tries to rise). 
I do ! O you understand ! {He beams suddenly at 
his mother.) You umnt me to play. If I were al- 
lowed you would want me to play. I'm so glad. 

{Mother touched^ tveeps.) 

{Attention is turned towards Tankele and his 

mother. ) 

Mother. 

Yes, but you must learn, otherwise how can you 
be a good Jew? 

Yankele {very wearily) . 
There is so much to learn, so much to learn ! 
Always to learn — never to play! 



IN THE ''GROW-BY-NIGHT'' WOODS 67 

{Attention is turned towards ^Zekiel and his 
mother. ) 

Zekiel {longingly). 
Mother, why do I never eat eggs fried with 
butter? 

Mother {tenderly). 

It costs too much. We Jews are poor. We must 
not waste. 

Zekiel. 

But say mother, can't I just loant to have it. 
Why do you scold me so for ivantingf 

Mother. 
A good little Jew must not want to eat all the 
time. He must want to learn. 

Zekiel {insistently). 
But how can I learn if I am hungry? 

Mother 

{Her sternness melts. She breaks down). 

O — O — O — Darling mine — don't make me cry — 

I know how very hard it is for you to learn without 

eating. But I wish I could give you all the good 

in the world. I wish ! I — I love you .... 

Zekiel {softly^ gladly). 
O mother, you love me ! Don't cry ! I'll be a big 
man soon {pathetically) . Only if I know you love 
me! And if you won't scold me for wanting. . . . 

{As if impelled again by some strange force, the 
four mothers rise and go off, weeping. They de- 
part as they came, in a trance.) 



68 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

I-donVcare. I 

I know! All Jewish mothers must cry or else 
their children must cry. I do not want to be a Jew- 
ish child. 

Yankele (shocked). 
Hush! You must! 

Zekiel (scornfully). 
You're a baby ! 



Choneh (grinning thru tears). 
My mother really loves me! 

Sholom (in ecstasy). 
I heard my mother say she loved me. 

I-don^t-care ( irreconcilable ) . 
Is that the way ! I'm glad I'm a baby. Now my 
mother isn't ashamed to tell me. When I grow up 
she'll cry all day long instead of loving ! . . . . 

Kebbi (quickly). 
You are late in growing up already ! Your mother 
dreams bad dreams on account of you. Come. 

(He turns totoards the right and speaks, wizard 
fashion. ) 

Yodh, He, Vov 

Bring the book of Love; 

Bring the book and show — 

How a Jew may grow, 

What makes mothers love 

Hurry Yodh, Heh, Vov. 
(Sounds of activity off stage.) 



\ 



I 



11^ THE ''aROW-BY-NTGHT'' WOODS 69 

I-don't-care, you shall see what makes Jewish 
mothers happy and what makes them love their 
children. 

(Yodhy Heh and Vov bring in a very large hook — 
like a magnificent Bible, They carry it respect- 
fully and' carefully. 

All four kinderlach rush up to take hold of it, and 
the Letters turn over the book to the children. 
These sit down on the ground^ open it, and all 
four peer wisely into it. 

Then they become engrossed in its study, and forget 
all their hunger^ timidity and dreaminess. A 
chant as of the students in a cheder rises from 
the throats of the four kinderlach. ) 

(During this pantomime the three letters who 
brought in the book, quarrel.) 

YODH {filled with vanity). 
The Book has my picture in oftener than yours. 

Heh. 

Mine the most! 

Vov. 
It's the Kebbi's biggest book. 

YoDH {interrupts, fervently). 
The Bible! 

Vov. 
Fm sure I^m in it most. 

Eebbi {to the Letters). 
Hush! Stand aside! The mothers are coming! 



70 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

(The letters move off the stage. The four Kinder- 
laches chant grows higher ^ more earnest and fiery. 
I-don^t-care watches fascinated.) 

I-DON^T-OARE 

(Hardly believing ^ hut admiringly). 
They are really happy! They are singing! 

Rebbi. 
Do you see what they are doing? Hush! 

( The four mothers enter, again as in a dream. But 
now their faces are flushed with joy. They seem 
transformed — years younger, and unspeakably 
happy. They stand behind the children, who go 
on unheedingly. The mothers listen a few min- 
utes. Every face is a picture of divine joy. 

Then the ecstasy breaks out into glad cries. ) 

Yankele^s Mother (thrilled). 
My — Yankele — is — learning ! 

Choneh^s Mother (likewise listening). 
Choneh — will be — a — Rabbi ! Hear — hear ! . . 

'Zekiel^s Mother (beaming down). 
'Zekiel, 'Zekiel — you are such a joy to me ! 

Sholom's Mother 
(Almost beyond herself with joy). 
Sholom'll — Sholmll's voice ! Hear how he learns ! 

( The little children have not noticed their mothers' 
presence. Now Yankele' s mother bends down to 



IN THE ''GROW-BY-NIGHT'' WOODS 71 

kiss him. As she puts her arm around his neck 
he turns about annoyed and wonderingly, scarce- 
ly recognizing her.) 

Yankele 
{Dreamily, puts her away gently). 
Not now, mother, not now. Two more pages to 
learn ! ( The mother laughs. ) 

(The other mothers have been doing similarly and 
in turn we hear each child's protest as he turns 
to disengage himself from his mother.) 

Choneh. 
Please let me! I'm dreaming of long ago and f 
can't stop now. 

'Zekiel. 
Mother, I forgot everything. Let me — 

Sholom. 
There is so much place to think here — I mustn't . . 

{But the happy mothers are insistent. Almost by 
force they lift their little dreamy eyed boys away 
from the large Book. The children struggle. The 
mothers jolly, and motherly, smother the little 
ones with hugs and kisses. As they go off we 
hear. ) 

Choneh^s Mother. 
Come home, play a little ! 

'Zekiel^s Mother. 
I have fried eggs in butter. 

'Zekiel (wonderingly) . 
In butter? 



72 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Sholom's Mother. 
Come — a little boy must stretch — 

Yankele^s Mother. 
The sun is shining — wake up Yankele ! wake up ! 
Can't you hear me — How big you are! Did you 
grow all in one night? Wake up — It's soon time 
for cheder! 

(In this way the four little families go off, cuddled 
close together and very, very happy. 

Only the Rehhi, the Letter Yov and the astonished 
LdonH-care are left. The large hook is on the 
ground, in the rays of new sunlight. I-don't-care 
has been at the hack of the stage. He jumps 
up suddenly.) 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

I care! I want to be a Jewish boy. I want my 
mother to love me so ! Give me the Book ! 

Eebbi. 
You must learn ! 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

I will ! But I want the book ! 

(As he starts forward down stage to seize the Book, 
a sudden cry is heard and all the letters of the 
Alphabet except Toph, Nun and Shin, rush in; 
half the group from each side of the stage. 

They form a strong wall, between I-donH-care and 
the Book.) 

I-DON^T-CARB [taken by surprise). 
Who are these? I want the Book. Stand aside! 
I must get the Book ! 



/A" THE ''GROW-BY-NIGHT'' WOODS 73 

The Rebbi. 
My servants stand in your way — Till you learn 
who my servants are you cannot have the book. 

I-don-'t-care ( passionately ) . 
But I am a Jewish child! 

Rebbi. 
Then learn what a Jewish child must know. Tell 
them who you are! Morning is coming — quick! 

{All the letters shout their names to him. I -don't- 
care eagerly repeats one by one. Every letter 
whose name is repeated steps hack and opens the 
''wall" further. Finally the "loalV is open — I- 
don't-care rushes to the hook and looks into it.) 

Vov (gladly). 
He will grow ! He will learn ! He will love and 
be loved ! He is a Jewish child ! 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

(Peers deeper and deeper into the seeret of the 
hook — happier and happier each moment. The 
Letters form a large semi-circle in hack of him, 
from one side of the stage to the other. The Rehhi 
sings to the tune of Aufn Pripichek. ) 

Learn my little men, and when yon grow old, 

In wisdom and in years. 

You will learn the dreams the ancient letters hold 

And what sighs and tears, 

You will learn the dreams the ancient letters hold 

And what sighs and tears. 



74 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Refrain (all the Letters sing). 
O my little man, Learn the lesson well 
"Kometz Aleph O." 

In the cheder mark ye, what ye hear me tell — 
"Kometz Aleph O," 

In the cheder mark ye, what ye hear me tell — 
"Kometz Aleph O.'' 

(Tahleatico — ^^I-dowt-care'^ studies fervidly from the 
Booh — The Rehhi sings — the Letters stand 
around. 

Darkness — change of Scene.) 



ASK-A-LOT ARRIVES 75 

SCENE VI. 

"IN FRONT OF GATES OF ALEPH BES 
LAND." 





CHARACTERS: 


ASK-A-LOT. 


Nun. 


Rebbi. 


TOPH. 


Shin. 


All the Letters. 



{The Rehbi enters alone from Gate Bes, finishing 
the last bars of Aufn Pripichek. 

Ask-a-Lot^ a walking question, enters^ followed by 
Shin and Nun and Toph. 

The letters seem exhausted and ready to fall at each 
question she asks. Evidently she has been ask- 
ing questions all the time. ) 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Is this where the letters live? (Seeing the Rebbi.) 
O Rebbi, why don't they answer my questions? 
Is this Aleph Bes Land? Why did they bring me 
here? Will you let me in? 

Rebbi. 
Ask-a-Lot, here is Aleph Bes Land. Guards. 
(The two letters salute iveakly.) You have been' 
sufficiently punished by having to answer all her 
questions. Stand at attention! 

(They do so. To Ask-a-Lot who has been asking 
silent but eloquent questions with inquiring jerks 
of her head. ) 
In here (pointing to Happy Street) is your Mis- 



76 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

tress Malkah. And in here is your brother, I-don't- 
care. He cares now. Where do you want to go? 

ASK-A-LOT 

(Approaching Help Street , the one marked 
''Gimer). 
Would I get lost if I went alone in here? 

Kebbi. 
No. But no one may pass the gates who does not 
know my servants. Letters! 

(The Letters begin to troop in from the opposite 
side of the stage, hut one has no more than 
showed himself than ^^ Ash-a-Lot^' asks — ) 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Isn't that Baled? 
(So Baled disappears again. 

The same with each letter, which appears and is at 
once recognized by the questioning little girl, 
then disappears again. This happens so rapidly 
as to make it humorous, Gimel alone stands in 
front of his gate. 

The Rebbi is surprised — stops her flood of ques- 
tions. ) 

Eebbi. 
Shin, how did this happen? 

Shin. 
She asked us so many questions on the way about 
our friends, and our land, we had to describe them. 



ASK-A-LOT ARRIVES 77 

Rebbi {laughs). 
Questions are good for little Jewish girls, if 
they are about such matters. Now you may enter 
the gates. You will see all things that no other chil- 
dren see. I will send a blue-bird to help you, and I 
will make the trees talk for you. 

AsK-A-LoT (eagerly approaching) . 
Now? Where shall I go? Will you let me in. 
Mister Gimel? 

(Gimel steps aside.) 

Rebbi. 
Go till you come to a great woods of winter trees 
and then — the bird will tell you, and Malkah and 
your brother will meet you, and the trees will teach 
you to pray. 

(The two letters low ceremoniously to the Rebbi 

and open Help Street Gate for her. ) 

Get ready to answer the questions of a Jewish 
child. Ask-a-Lot is coming! 

(Ask-a-Lot passes through the gate.) 
(Darkness — change of scene.) 



78 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

SCENE VII. 
"HELP STREET." 

CHARACTERS: 

"I-don^t-care/^ a hoy-dolL 

"Ask-a-Lot/^ a girl-doll. 
Nine Trees. The White Bird. 

The Blue Bird. Malkah. 

The Black Bird. The Letters. 

Scene : A woods represented hy nine or more little 
girls dressed as trees. 

There are larger and smaller trees, some turned 
awayy some standing sidewise and leaning on 
another. Their faces are covered. 

The hodies of the trees , the floor of the forest and 
hanging boughs are snow-touched. 

The woods has a little semi-circular clearing to- 
wards the front of the stage. 

Part of the woods where the action of the play takes 
place is quite dark except for the snowlight. 

Mnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ! There is a whistling through 
the ^'trees/' which sway with the wind. 

Ask-a-Lot is just coming into the woods from the 
hack right hand corner. 

She treads her circuitous way about the trees, 
looking up wonderingly and questioningly at 
Tree 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, as she passes them, finally 
coming into the open space in front of five; all 
this time her wonder and fear grow. Each whistle 
of the ivind brings new terror. ) 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 79 

AsK-A-LoT {to herself). 
Am I in the woods of Help Street? 

Winds (whistle). 
Yea! M-M-M-M! 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Where am I? (Cries to the distance.) Brother, 
where are you? O, ho! Where are you? 

I-DON^T-CARE^s VOICE (off -Stage) . 
Vm in Jewish Love Street. I don't care to come 
out. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

please come, brother! Why don't you come 
here? Don't you see I need you! 

I-DON^T-CARE^S VOICE. 

Where? 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Can't you hear my voice? I'm exploring a new 
place in Aleph Bes Land. Won't you please come? 
(Pause. I-don/t-care, enters sullenly.) 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

Well, we're in the woods now. ( Wind whistles. ) 
Oo, what did you want to bring me here for? 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Don't you know, in Aleph Bes Land — 

I-DON^T-CARE. 

1 know that as well as you do and I don't care. 



80 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

My Kebbi gives us good things to eat. Now you 
made me miss the raisins and the almonds and 
everything. It's silly to go to the cold woods today. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

No it isn't. The Rebbi said I would find Help 
Street here. I-don't-care, listen! {Wind whistles ^ 
trees shake.) Did you hear? Didn't you know trees 
talk and if you go into the woods and you listen, 
you hear wonderful things? (He is not convinced.) 
Aren't you glad I called you? We'll hear every- 
thing. Did any of the girls or boys ever hear trees 
talk? 

I-donVCare. 

I am going right back. I'll tell mother in Happy 
Street something's the matter with you. I don't 
want to hear trees talk! {wind whistles.) Ooooo^ 
it's cold ! I want to be in my Love Street, where I 
can grow. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Oh, I-don't-care, won't you stay with me? 

I-don^t-Oare. 
Stay yourself ! You'll see you'll catch cold. Now 
you're a real girl and live girls always catch cold. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

I won't! Am I not a doll? 

I-don't-Care. 
And you'll get sick — I tell you. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Why will I? 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 81 

I-don^t-Care. 
And the Aleph Bes Land doctor will give you a 
bitter medicine — 

ASK-A-LOT. 

He won't ! Isn't he a nice doctor? — 

I-donVCare. 
And you'll be sick for ten nights if you don't 
come right away — I don't care — 

Ask-a-Lot. 
I won't ! Please stay with me I-don't-Care ! Don't 
you know the Trees might say wonderful things? 

I-don^t-Care. 
I will not! I'm going straight back to Cheder. 
Ummm, won't I enjoy the raisins and the almonds. 
You won't get any. 

(He goes off. During his speech the wind has 
whistled accompaniment. The sound of the wind 
has hushed when he spoke, hut now as little Ask- 
a-Lot follows him a little, and then, evidently 
losing him, returns to the front of the stage and 
sinks down and weeps in fear, the whistle of the 
wind changes to a tender, soothing tone. 

A Blue Bird enters, fluttering ahout Ask-a-Lot who 
has her eyes closed.) 

Bluebird. 
Tweet! Tweet! 

ASK-A-LOT 

{Suddenly opening her eyes). 
Who are you, Birdie? 



82 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Bird. 
Don't you know me any more? Don't you re- 
member one day last winter? I was very tired and 
hungry and I flew till I fell on your window sill. 
Then Malkah took me in and warmed me, and her 
crumbs were so sweet tasting, and when her brother, 
Yankele, wanted to put me in a cage — 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Of course she wouldn't let him. Are you the 
little bird she sent through the window when 
Springtime came? 

Bird. 

Yes, and I flew till I came to my home! 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Is this your home? How big you are! 

Bird. 
Tweet, tweet. Do I look big to you? Tweet, tweet, 
hush a moment ! 

(There is a moment's pause during which the bird 
seems to he listening to something which the trees 
are saying^ hut only a murmur as of an indistinct 
chant, can he heard, and suddenly the Mr die 
pipes out, ^'Omenl OmenT) 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Are they really talking? 

Bird. 
Praying! Tweet, tweet! Hush! (Another list- 
ening pause. ) Omen ! 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 83 

AsK-A- Lot. 
I don't hear anything. 

Bird. 
They're going to say their Shmone Esre Prayer 
standing. Now I can talk to you for a little while. 

AsK-A-LoT ( enthusiastically ) . 
Trees praying I Are they really praying ! Where 
is their Synagogue! 

Bird. 
(Pointing to the snow everywhere). 
Look at this ! 

ASK-A-LOT. 

On the ground, on the side of the trees? (Touches 
it.) Isn't it snow? 

Bird. 
If only you were a little birdie you would know 
what this is. (Touching the snoio on the ground.) 
This carpet is for the Synagogue and these (point- 
ing to the snoio on the branches ) are white dresses, 
and this, of course, (pointing to the snow on the 
trees) is the Talith they are all wearing; and what 
do you think this is? (Indicating the swaying of 
the trees.) 

ASK-A-LOT. 

That is the wind, isn't it birdie? 

Bird. 
Tweet, tweet! That is the way the trees pray. 
This is the day of judgment for all trees. Today 
God measures the fruit of every tree and sees if it 



84 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

is good. And if it please God, He says, "This tree 
shall live another year and be full of fruit." 

ASK-A-LOT. 

O is it New Years for the Trees today? Isn't it 
lucky for me? Trees love their fruit like mothers 
love their children, like Malkah loves me, don't they 
birdie? 

Bird. 

Just the same, Ask-a-Lot. And today is the day 
when the trees pray for a Happy New Year. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Kosh Hashonoh for trees ! I understand ! 

Bird. 
Tweet, tweet ! (Pause. ) Omen ! 

ASK-A-LOT. 

And could I hear them pray and answer Omen, 
too? But I'm not a little birdie and maybe they 
wouldn't want me to answer Omen to them. 

Bird. 
Oh yes. All winter they have been waiting for 
someone like you to come ! 

ASK-A-LOT. 

For me? But how shall I know when to answer, 
if I cannot hear them? 

Bird. 
Answer with me first and then you hear them. 



WHERE TEE TREES PRAYED 85 

{They both pause, a loio indistinct chant is heard 
and the bird quiclcly pipes out "Omen." Ask-a- 
Lot joins in immediately.) "Omen!" Now do 
you hear them? 

(A murmur becomes distinct. The chant grows 
louder. Suddenly words are heard and as the 
next verse is sung, the coverings fall from the 
heads of the trees and reveal faces.. The trees 
say in unison — 

Oh brothers in the faraway, 
See us bend, see us sway. 
For you, for you alone, we pray, 
Brothers, on this New Year's day. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

They are alive! I heard the trees pray, even if 
I am only a doll. {She rushes to them. ) For whom 
were they praying? Not for themselves? 

Bird. 
Trees are not selfish. They never pray for them- 
selves, but to help their brothers and sisters far 
away. 

AsK-A-LoT {turning to the trees). 
What are your brothers' and sisters' names? 

First Tree. 
Tree of Sharon is my brother. 

Second Tree. 
Tree of Carmel is my brother. 

Third Tree. 
Tree of Lebanon is my sister. 



86 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Bird (interrupting). 
O, they have many far away. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Where is far away? 

Bird. 
In Palestine. Hush ! ( The trees commence their 
prayers again.) 

Trees (in unison). 
God in heaven up above, 
Give our brothers far away, 
On this morn of New Year's day. 
Fruit, and sunlight and Thy love ! 

Bird and Ask-a-Lot (together). 
Omen ! 

Tree Five (the elder). 
Brothers, she has come! 

Tree One 
(Bending over to Tree Three). 

She has come! 

Tree Two 
(Bending over to Tree Three). 
She has come ! (Etc. y the murmur goes from tree 
to tree.) 

ASK-A-LOT. 

The trees are moving! (Trees, still murmuring, 
advance toward the center of the stage surrounding 
Tree Five.) How can trees move? 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 87 

BiBD. 

On New Year's day more wonderful things hap- 
pen than that. I will tell them about you. 
(Advancing to tree -jive, an elder tree.) 

This little girl has come to help you pray for 
yourself. {They jump hack into their position with 
a murmur of horror.) 

Tree Five. 
We never pray for ourselves. ( The trees murmur 
as before.) We never pray for ourselves. 

ASK-A-LOT 

(Half aside y to Birdie). 
I am so glad, because I never could pray without 
a Sidur. Can you? 

Tree Five. 
Little Jewish maiden have you seen our messen- 
ger coming? You can see outside the woods. Not 
like us. We must always stay here. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

What messenger? I don't know what you mean. 

Tree Five. 
Bird. {Other trees murmur.) Bird of course. 

Other Trees. 
Bird of course. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

What does the tree mean? 



88 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Bird. 
Tweet, tweet! Don't you know? Every New 
Year's Day all the trees send their little message 
of love to each other. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Like New Year's Cards? 

Bird. 
And the messengers are birds. Here it is winter 
but on Kosh Hashonoh L'illonos, in far away Pal- 
estine it is Spring and they plant trees and are 
jolly there on this day. So every year the trees of 
Palestine send these brothers and sisters a little 
white bird for a messenger and the little white bird 
comes among the trees and "tweet — tweet!" and 
laughs and says, "Your brothers are growing bigger 
and bigger and more and more fruitful." 

Tree Four. 
And every year the white bird is whiter. 

Tree Five. 
And its "tweet, tweet," sounds sweeter. 

Tree Six. 
And it is happier and happier. 

Tree Seven. 
It says that the Jewish trees in Palestine grow 
more beautiful every year. 

Bird. 
And O, it tells of little boys and girls no older 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 89 

than yourself who laugh and play out there among 
the trees and the sunshine and how they plant new 
trees today. 

Tree Five (gravely). 
Where is our messenger from Palestine today? 

AsK-A-LoT (looking off). 
I see a bird flying here. (Trees move forward 
again. ) 

Tree One. 



Is it white? 
Very white? 
And laughing? 
Tweet, tweet! 
And beautiful? 



Tree Two. 

Tree Three. 

Bird. 

Tree Six. 
Tree Seven. 



And swift? 

ASK-A-LoT (looking off). 
No, it is slow. It's wing is broken, it is weeping ; 
it does not laugh at all. It is black. 

All. 
Black! 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Here it is ! 

(The blackbird rushes in. The trees are shocked. 
They sioay forward and then back as though 
struck. Some put their hands before their faces 
to weep; the trees step back in horror, one by 
one.) 



90 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Tree One. 
It isn't white. 

Tree Two. 
Not white at all. 

Tree Three. 
It is weeping. 

Tree Six. 
And not beautiful .... 

All Trees. 
Poor black bird! 

Blackbird. 

dear trees, I have come from your brothers 
and sisters in Palestine. ( Trees murmur ^^Why are 
you blacky little hirdf) They are so unhappy. 
Your brothers and sisters are crying all day to-day. 
They are drying away! 

Tree Five. 
Where are the men who take care of them? 

Blackbird. 

1 don't know but I heard a little sister tree say 
that there was "a war''. {Murmuring among the 
trees, ^^A war, a war, what is a warf') I don't 
know. Many Jewish fathers and mothers are dead 
and there is no one to take care of the trees of 
Palestine. 

Blue Bird. 

Where are the little Jewish girls and boys of 
Palestine? 

Blackbird. 

They are sad because of the war and are hungry 
and weak. They do not plant any trees today. Oh 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 91 

pray for the trees of Palestine ! {Murmuring among 
the trees.) 

Some Trees. 
Oh little sisters far away. 

Others. 
We are sorry, little sisters far away. 

Others. 
And brothers far away. 

Others. 
We are sorry, little brothers far away. 

Tree Five. 
Go, Bluebird, and tell our brothers and sisters 
in unhappy Palestine we are sorry for them and we 
will help them; each one of us will give something 
to take to them. Here is my little green branch; 
give it to some poor sister without a bough. It is 
the last green branch I have. {The Bluebird busies 
himself ivith collecting from the trees.) 

Tree One. 
Take my little bit of fruit; I hid it all winter 
under the snoAv. Give it to a little sister tree in 
Palestine. 

Tree Three. 
Take my seeds to plant there. 

Tree Four. 
Under my shoulder I have some sap. Take it to 
my brother in Palestine. 



92 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

Tree Five. 
And I send this — 

Tree Six. 
And please, take this — 

ASK-A-LOT. 

I want to send something too. Take my little 
purse. 

Bluebird. 

Birdies do not carry purses. They only carry 
love and messages and seeds and sunshine and 
kisses, but I will carry your love to the little trees 
in Palestine if you wish me to do so. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Please take my love and kisses and tell the little 
trees in Palestine I will never forget them. 

Bluebird. 
Good-bye, little Ask-a-Lot. {She leans over to 
kiss her.) 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Farewell. You know my name, what is yours? 

Bluebird. 
I have a queer little name. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

What is it little birdie? 

Bluebird. 
"Help." My brother faraway is called "Hope." 
Perhaps you will meet him some day too. Farewell. 
{She goes off.) 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 93 

Tree Five. 
Come to prayer, prayer for our brothers and sis- 
ters far aAvay. 

Trees {murmuring.) 
Pray, pray for our brothers and sisters far away. 

A^k-a-JjOT {with enthusiasm.) 
Oh you beautiful trees of God; you love your 
brothers and sisters of Palestine and want to help 
them, but Oh, / love them more! Let me pray for 
them! Oh wonderful trees may I pray with you? 

Tree Five. 
Yes, pray. {Trees murmur ^'Pray, pray for 
them J') Be our chazon. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Chazon? What is that? 

Tree Five. 
Say the words in Hebrew, from the book. 

Ask- A-LoT ( & ewildered ) . 
But how should I know the words? O how can 
I learn them? 

Tree Five 
{Talking to the distance). 
O Rebbi! Rebbi! You taught us the prayers 
once, send your messengers to teach this child. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Is it my friend the Rebbi, you are talking to? 
{She looks off-stage; she is astonished.) Who are 
these coming? Are they my friends? I know! 



94 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

(The Letters all troop in and stand in squads before 
her. She understands and ^'reads^^ each squad, 
then they change places and re-arrange them- 
selves into other formations which she continues 
to read. ) 

AsK-A-LoT (chants). 
Boruch — At oh — 

(The Letters are about to change again when Black- 
bird who has stood guard at the edge of the stage 
cries out suddenly.) 

Blackbird. 
See! Another messenger! 

The Trees. 
"Who?" "Who is it?" etc. (Commotion.) 

White Bird 
(Flies in; very happily). 

All 
(Recognizing her, joyfully). 



Hope 



White Bird (cheerfully). 
Tweet! tweet! I come to tell you the trees of 
Palestine and the little children are happy again . . . 

All. 
Happy? 

White Bird. 
They have received your gifts and your love 
through my sister. And I have come to tell you 
very good news — 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 95 

Voices (eagerly). 
What? What is it? Speak! Quick! [All the 
trees, the letters and Ask-a-Lot crowd around her. ) 

White Bird. 
Sh! Sh! It's a secret. (They all come closer 
about her. ) But I can whisper to you that after the 
war — 

(She lowers her voice and speaks into the ears of 
the crowd about her so that only they, hut not 
you, can hear her. But you can well imagine, 
for after this whisper everyone breaks away wWi 
loud shouts and screams of joy. The stage is a 
bedlam of happiness.) 

Voices of Trees^ Letters. 
"Hoorah!" "Did you hear!'' "There is hope!" 
"The Land will belong to them ! "They will bloom 
again!" etc., etc. 

Blackbird (interrupting). 
Hush, human beings are coming into the woods. 
Do not let them hear you. 

( The trees, understanding, take their former places 
and act like trees again. Blackbird and Bluebird 
and the Letters run off.) 

Tree Five. 
Let us say the silent prayer! 

I-don^t-Care^s Voice (from off stage). 
Ho! Ask— a— L— 1! 

(Ask-a-Lot is in front of the stage. She appears 
dazed. I -don't-care's voice comes nearer.) 



96 THE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

I-don^t-Care. 
This is the place! {He rushes in and finds her.) 
Here she is, mother! {As I-don^t-care enters the 
trees cover their faces. The Letters go off. ) 

Malkah {who has followed him). 
My dear, darling Ask-a-Lot ! 

ASK-A-LOT 

{As though in a trance). 
I will be the Ohazon. Boruch ato — 

Malkah. 
Darling you are freezing. Oh my darling! 

Ask-a-Lot. 

Why don't you let me stand by myself? I am 
saying my prayers for them, for the trees of Pales- 
tine. Birdie, won't let me send my purse, so I am 
praying. {She calls off stage.) Oh, letters isn't it 
true? 

Malkah {alarmed). 

My darling, what is the matter with you? 

I-don^t-Care ( revengefully ) . 
She's got a cold. I told you you'd catch cold! 

AsK-A-LoT ( persistently ) . 
No, I am the Chazon and I heard the birdies and 
trees talk. I know everything that happened to 
your brothers and sisters far away, and the Letters 
helped me! 



WHERE THE TREES PRAYED 97 

I-don^t-Care ( quickly ) . 
I don't believe you ! You're a girl ! 

AsK-A-LoT (pitifully). 
Mamma, I am telling the truth, don't you believe 
me? ( The trees are chanting. ) The trees are chant- 
ing, don't you hear them? 

Malkah. 
My dear, you are imagining. Come along. 

ASK-A-LOT. 

You don't believe me? 

(She has walked up stage tvith her mother. Sud- 
denly she rushes to the footlights and turns to 
the audience. ) 

ASK-A-LOT. 

Is there no one who believes me? Don't you be- 
lieve me? All right mother, take me home quick. 
I will tell all the girls what I heard and we will 
send to our little Jewish brothers and sisters in Pal- 
estine, our seeds and our sunshine and our kisses 
and our purses and everything to help. And some- 
day they will send us a white bird for a messenger 
and — isn't that so, mother? 

(She goes with her mother and I-donHCare as the 
wind whistles through the ^Hrees.^') 

Darkness — Change of Scene. 



98 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

SCENE VIII. 

"IN FRONT OF THE GATES OF ALEPH 
BES LAND." 

CHARACTERS : 

Rebbi. Ask-a-Lot. 

Malkah. I-don^t-Care. 

All the Letters. 

{All the Letters in place against the wall. The 
Rehhi stands in front of the center Gate playing 
the last strains of ^'Has Hashemesh'\ Malkah, 
I-don't-care and Ask-a-Lot come in from the Help 
Street Gate, as though just emerging from the 
last scene — In the Woods.) 

ASK-A-LOT 

{As if just ending the previous speech). 
— and our seeds and our sunshine and our kisses 
and our purses and everything to help! 

Malkah. 
Then I must go back to my home to my own 
street, to tell all the children. 

I-don^t-Care. 
No ! No ! I Avant to stay here. I love it more 
than all the rest of the world. I do care for Aleph 
Bes Land. Jewish boys here can love and not be 
babies, either. 

Ask-a-Lot. 
I want to be a Jewish child forever. Please don't 



THE DEPARTURE 99 

change me back. When I am a doll, I can't be 
happy, and I can't love, and I can't help, but I must 
always stay stiff on a chair. Isn't it better to be a 
Jewish child? 

All the Letters 
{rush up to the Rehhi). 
"Eebbi!" "Kebbi!" "Let me go!" "Me!" 
"Me!" "I will go!" 

YODH. 

Kebbi, it is so hard to stay printed in a book. 
Let us go along — and be like real children. 

All. 
"Please!" "Please!" "Rebbi, let us go!" 

Rebbi {sternly). 

1 am sorry. Remember you must yet be punished 
for trying to upset Aleph Bes Land. 

{The Letters step hack in fear.) 

So this is your punishment. You must stay here 
forever — until another Jewish child comes to take 
you with her. 
{They fall hack in their places^ sadly.) 

Malkah {ivarmly). 
Take me back to my home Rebbi ! I want to tell 
all the children what I have seen. 

I-donVCare and Ask-a-Lot. 
No ! No ! 

Rebbi {to the Dolls). 
You must return quickly, for soon the morning 



100 TEE LAND OF ALEPH BES 

will come, and Malkah will wake and you must go 
away from this Land. {Looks up to a corner off 
stage.) There is the Eed Magic Boat waiting in 
the air. It is ashamed because it tumbled you all 
out before. Come back, Eed Ark. I forgive you. 
Take back the children. (Pause.) The Book is 
bashful. 

Aleph, Bes, Toph, Shin. 

Hurry ! 
{They come out of the Gates and stand before the 

Rebhi.) 

Bring my Ked Book in ! 

Aleph, Toph, Shin, Bes, 

Bring my Book right to this place. 

Soldiers, through the wide world look, 

Aleph, Bes, bring my Book! 
{Aleph, Bes, Shin, Toph re-enter, pulling and push- 
ing the Book as though it were unwilling to enter. ) 

Eebbi 
{As Malkah '^ enter s^^ the Ark). 
Good-bye Malkah, little ones, good-bye. Will you 
remember Happy Street, and Love Street and Help 
Street, and all that you saw and heard? 

ASK-A-LOT 

{Reluctantly entering Ark, led by Malkah). 

Always ! 

I-don^t-Care. 
That's all I care about! 

Malkah. 
If I tell my friends about you, will you come for 
them too? 



THE DEPARTURE 101 

Rebbi. 
If they wait for me, perhaps I will come to them 
too with my Great Red Magic Boat and bring them 
here. I will show all your friends the true Won- 
derland of Jewish children. Good-bye, Malkah. I 
must stay with my soldiers till the moon goes out 
of the sky. Aleph, Bes, Toph, Shin will guard you. 
Farewell ! 

All Three. 
Good-bye Rebbi ! 
{Here the Soldiers Gimel to Resh, all those seen at 
the opening of Bcenell, troop out quietly in front 
of the Three Gates and form lines against the 
wall. The Rehhi is in the center. 
The Soldier Letters begin their song ^^ Hush I Hush! 

etc./' as sung in the beginning of Scene II. 
The Ark passes by one gate after another slowly, 
and the singing soldiers wave to them and follow 
them ivith their eyes.) 

All Three 
{As they pass each gate slowly, inside the Great 
Red Book). 
Good-bye, Happy Street ! Good-bye- Help Street ! 
Good-bye, Love Street ! 

{The Ark slowly passes off. The singing and the 
lights die down and the final tableaux shows the 
Soldier Letters standing 7'igid agai^ist the wall 
like a ^'Line'^, with the Captain and his fiddle in 
the center of the stage and the Ark disappearing. ) 
Malkah^s Voice 
{Off stage as the Ark goes off). 
Rebbi, Rebbi, I'll never forget. I'll never forget, 
Rebbi ! 

Darkness — Change of Scene. 



102 TEE LAND OF ALEPE BES 

SCENE IX. 

"THE HOME OF MALKAH." 

(Same as Scene One. In front of the curtains in 
MalkaWs home. When the lights are turned up, 
Malkah is discovered sleeping where she closed 
her eyes in Scene I. The curtains are closed.) 

Malkah 

{muttering in her sleep). 
Rebbi, Rebbi! I'll never forget! I'll never for- 
get, Rebbi! 

(Then she awakes. Pantomime of awakening ^ sur- 
prise, pinching herself , looking about dazed, etc. ) 
I-don't-care ! They're true! 
(Rushes excitedly, opens curtain and there on the 
chair are her two dolls — merely dolls just as they 
were at the very opening of Scene I. She is 
stunned with disappointment.) 

Malkah. 

O, I do so wish you were real! It was only a 
dream! (Vaguely.) The Rebbi? Happy Street? 
Love Street? Help Street? The Land of the Aleph 
Bes? 
(Looks at the audience. Brightly.) 

But you are real, aren't you? And the Rebbi 
said if I ever get real Jewish Children to promise, 
I can take them long, and he will show us the real 
Jewish Wonderland — and we will live happily ever 
after! 

The End. 



NOTE. 

The publisher of this play can furnish . the 
photographs of the players and of the settings of 
the play; music for the songs; special copies of 
individual players' parts; directions for stage set- 
ting, lighting and complete plans for staging; 
costume designs for all characters, etc. 

Address : 

JULIUS H. GKEENSTONE 

1926 N. 13th Street 

Philadelphia, Pa. 



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Treatment Date: Dec. 2007 

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